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Police in the London Borough of Bexley have reported a 75.5% reduction in residential burglary in an area of Belvedere, contributing to an overall fall in burglary across the Borough.

In October 2009 a crime reduction initiative was launched which saw over 500 homes across 25 Belvedere streets issued with a forensic liquid called SmartWater. The invisible solution, which is virtually impossible to remove, can only be seen under UV lights used by the police. SmartWater is used to mark valuables such as jewellery and electrical items with their own forensic signature that is registered to the owner. This allows police to irrefutably prove the ownership of any item.

During the rollout, all homes were issued with stickers to put in windows warning thieves that SmartWater was in use. Since then burglary in the 25 streets has plummeted. Additional awareness material supporting this initiative is expected to be displayed in public areas in due course.

During the period from 1st October 2009 to 15th July 2010, 13 burglaries took place within the SmartWater protected area.  Only two of the properties targeted were using SmartWater, and in those two homes no property was stolen. During the same period for 2008/09 there were 53 reported burglaries, representing a 75.5% reduction.  This has contributed towards a reduction in burglary of 24.5% across the whole borough.

As a result of the SmartWater initiative, there were 40 fewer victims of crime with the Belvedere area, representing a significant financial saving to taxpayers. Investigation costs for a domestic burglary can often cost upwards of £4,000 each, therefore this scheme has potentially saved £160,000 of public money.

Detective Sergeant Shelley Barrett, Bexley Police, said: “This clearly shows how effective the deployment of SmartWater is, as both a deterrent and as a means of identifying and recovering stolen property.”