Buxton Students Get ‘Smart’ To Beat Crime
6 October 2006
PC Nigel Fry marks Catering student Alex Povey's mobile phone with SmartWater. (Picture © Buxton Advertiser.)
The University welcomes the chance to engage in this innovative project with the Community Safety Unit, helping to protect our students and their possessions.
”Professor David Davies, Dean of the University of Derby Buxton
Derbyshire Police are using the latest technology to help protect University of Derby Buxton students' property at the start of this new academic year.
Students often own property which is very attractive to burglars and thieves - items such as laptop computers, mobile phones and iPods. For this reason they can be targeted. To combat this, officers from B Division Community Safety Unit (based in Buxton) are planning to mark students' property with 'SmartWater'.
'SmartWater' is a forensic coding security system consisting of a clear liquid which carries a unique forensic code similar to DNA. This is invisible to the naked eye, but can be detected by the police using ultra-violet equipment, and its use has seen substantial reductions in the number of burglaries in other areas of the county.
Only a tiny speck is needed to identify SmartWater's unique code, and such is the power of the technology that a criminal would have to physically remove every speck of the solution from a stolen item - virtually an impossible task. Stolen items can be easily identified and returned to their rightful owner. It also deters criminals, because they know they can be caught and convicted.
B Division Crime Reduction Officer PC Nigel Fry said: "We are pleased to be trialling SmartWater in the town. We want to help students feel safe whilst they are studying in Buxton, and this initiative represents a key component in our effort to protect students' property."
Police officers were present in The Dome at the Devonshire Road site on Tuesday October 3 where they offered to mark students' property with SmartWater free of charge.
Speaking about the initiative, Buxton Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Roger Flint said: "In our fight against crime we must fully utilise the breakthroughs in technology.
"SmartWater provides an excellent opportunity to deter would-be thieves and helps to identify stolen property at an early stage of an investigation. I am delighted that we can offer SmartWater to students and in future we look forward to the initiative being extended to all residents in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales."
Scott Carlton, University of Derby Students' Union Vice-President for Buxton, said: "Students bring mobile phones, iPods and other high value items to University. Using this new SmartWater initiative it's easier to trace stolen items which peace of mind for victims of crime."
Professor David Davies, Dean of the University of Derby Buxton, said: "The University welcomes the chance to engage in this innovative project with the Community Safety Unit, helping to protect our students and their possessions."
Inspector Steve Wilson, who runs the Crime Reduction Team at Derbyshire Constabulary's headquarters in Ripley, said: "We're interested in extending the SmartWater initiative to protect the property of students based at the University's Derby campuses and halls of residence.
"In partnership with the University we'll discuss the best way to do this and how we can all work together to reduce property crime."
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For further media information call: Simon Butt, Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591942, 07748 920023 or email s.butt@derby.ac.uk.
