London to fight burglaries with traceable liquid
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The Mayor's Police and Crime Plan set a target to reduce burglary by 20 percent by 2016 and the number of burglaries in the capital is down 23% compared to March 2012.
However there were still 74, 029 residential and commercial burglary offences recorded in London from February 2014 to February 2015 and it is a crime that has a significant impact on victims.
The new Met Trace programme, which will run over three years, will provide 440,000 homes in burglary hotspots across the capital with a free kit containing an invisible traceable liquid, allowing owners to mark their possessions with a unique forensic code and to display warning stickers to deter burglars.
This code can then be used by the police to trace the items should they ever be stolen and to link suspects to crime scenes.
Created by SmartWater Technology Ltd, the liquid, which is virtually impossible to remove and can only be viewed under UV light, has already been proven to significantly reduce burglary rates.
During a recent Met trial across five boroughs, burglary rates reduced on average by 49 percent, with some areas seeing a reduction of over 70 percent. More than half of residents involved in the pilot said they felt safer having applied the liquid to items in their homes.
During a trial, burglary rates reduced on average by 49%, with some areas seeing a reduction of over 70%.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said "Crime is down in London and burglary rates are at their lowest since 1974, however we cannot be complacent. I am committed to tackling burglary in the capital, and this traceable liquids programme shows that once again the Met Police is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to preventing crime.
"I hope Londoners receiving this kit will take advantage of it to protect themselves and their homes from thieves.' ■