SmartWater
Encyclopedia
SmartWater is an anti-criminal system marketed in the United Kingdom
by Smartwater Technology Ltd.
It consists of a liquid containing a code which can be read under ultraviolet
light. It is intended to be applied to valuable items, so that if they are stolen and later seized by police, their original owner can be determined. Another application is a sprinkler system that sprays a burglar with the (invisible) fluid
, which cannot be washed off and lasts for months, to generate evidence which connects a suspect to a specific location.
Development of SmartWater was started in the mid-1990s by Phil Cleary, a retired police detective and later CEO
of SmartWater Ltd, and his brother Mike Cleary, a chemist.
SmartWater comes in three variants, "Index Solutions", "Indsol Tracer" and "SmartWater Instant", which use different techniques to embed such a code - which, according to Phil Cleary, allows "millions of chemical signatures" and is an identifier
superior to genetic fingerprinting
DNA.
The "Index Solutions" variant is a water-based solution containing low-level additives, which are blended using a binary sequence to ensure uniqueness. The Index Solution is contained within a spray system which is activated by an intruder detection unit, similar to a burglar alarm, and marks the intruder with a unique forensic spray, which the police locate using a black (UV) light.
The "Indsol Tracer" variant is a polymer emulsion which blends different chemical agents according to a binary code allowing 10 billion different possibilities, as stated by the company.
The "SmartWater Instant" variant consists mainly of a copolymer of vinyl acetate
in isopropyl alcohol
. This fluid contains millions of tiny fragments; a unique number called "SIN" ("SmartWater identification number") and registered in a national police database together with the owner's details, is etched into each of those particles.
Security expert Bruce Schneier
has pointed out that abuse of SmartWater is possible, because an owner of a personalised solution can easily administer it to other people's valuable items. However, in a later article, Schneier accepted that SmartWater worked as a deterrent, citing the publication of a research paper prepared by a team led by Professor Martin Gill, who interviewed over 100 criminals and asked whether or not the presence of SmartWater would deter them from committing a burglary, with 74% saying that it would.
SmartWater has been used by police to apprehend criminals
and the company claims in press releases to have over 600 convictions to its name.
In addition, the company developed a holistic crime reduction programme, called 'The SmartWater Strategy'. During the first six months of a pilot scheme involving 100 households in a part of Kent, police recorded a reduction in burglary of 94%.
Another area that has used the 'SmartWater Strategy' is Nottingham, where 30,000 homes have now had their property marked with individual SmartWater signatures and covert operations using SmartWater were instigated by the police. There has been a reported a 40% reduction in burglary since the start of the initiative.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Smartwater Technology Ltd.
It consists of a liquid containing a code which can be read under ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
light. It is intended to be applied to valuable items, so that if they are stolen and later seized by police, their original owner can be determined. Another application is a sprinkler system that sprays a burglar with the (invisible) fluid
Fluid
In physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Fluids are a subset of the phases of matter and include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids....
, which cannot be washed off and lasts for months, to generate evidence which connects a suspect to a specific location.
Development of SmartWater was started in the mid-1990s by Phil Cleary, a retired police detective and later CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of SmartWater Ltd, and his brother Mike Cleary, a chemist.
SmartWater comes in three variants, "Index Solutions", "Indsol Tracer" and "SmartWater Instant", which use different techniques to embed such a code - which, according to Phil Cleary, allows "millions of chemical signatures" and is an identifier
Identifier
An identifier is a name that identifies either a unique object or a unique class of objects, where the "object" or class may be an idea, physical [countable] object , or physical [noncountable] substance...
superior to genetic fingerprinting
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
DNA.
The "Index Solutions" variant is a water-based solution containing low-level additives, which are blended using a binary sequence to ensure uniqueness. The Index Solution is contained within a spray system which is activated by an intruder detection unit, similar to a burglar alarm, and marks the intruder with a unique forensic spray, which the police locate using a black (UV) light.
The "Indsol Tracer" variant is a polymer emulsion which blends different chemical agents according to a binary code allowing 10 billion different possibilities, as stated by the company.
The "SmartWater Instant" variant consists mainly of a copolymer of vinyl acetate
Vinyl acetate
Vinyl acetate is an organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH=CH2. A colorless liquid with a pungent odor, it is the precursor to polyvinyl acetate, an important polymer in industry.-Production:...
in isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is a common name for a chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H8O. It is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor...
. This fluid contains millions of tiny fragments; a unique number called "SIN" ("SmartWater identification number") and registered in a national police database together with the owner's details, is etched into each of those particles.
Security expert Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier is an American cryptographer, computer security specialist, and writer. He is the author of several books on general security topics, computer security and cryptography, and is the founder and chief technology officer of BT Managed Security Solutions, formerly Counterpane Internet...
has pointed out that abuse of SmartWater is possible, because an owner of a personalised solution can easily administer it to other people's valuable items. However, in a later article, Schneier accepted that SmartWater worked as a deterrent, citing the publication of a research paper prepared by a team led by Professor Martin Gill, who interviewed over 100 criminals and asked whether or not the presence of SmartWater would deter them from committing a burglary, with 74% saying that it would.
SmartWater has been used by police to apprehend criminals
and the company claims in press releases to have over 600 convictions to its name.
In addition, the company developed a holistic crime reduction programme, called 'The SmartWater Strategy'. During the first six months of a pilot scheme involving 100 households in a part of Kent, police recorded a reduction in burglary of 94%.
Another area that has used the 'SmartWater Strategy' is Nottingham, where 30,000 homes have now had their property marked with individual SmartWater signatures and covert operations using SmartWater were instigated by the police. There has been a reported a 40% reduction in burglary since the start of the initiative.