Crime Fighting Meets the Jetsons!

     Meet the future!

     A space-age new crime fighting technique may be coming to a neighborhood near you, if Police Chief Frank Adderley has his way.

               

     Burglaries are an ever increasing and troubling crime in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere.

    Five years ago in 2006, there were 1470 burglaries in the City, last year there were 2610! Something needs to be done –

                              Enter SmartWater

                           

     The Chief wants to partner with this company, SmartWater, that has engineered a creative way to catch those pesky burglars.

     Now this Smart Water you don’t drink.
 
     It is a “forensic liquid” that is given out to homeowners. It comes in a little bottle that looks like a “mascara tube with brush”. You take out the brush and put a little of the invisible water on your jewelery, lap top, big screen TV, art work, even your telephone. 

           


     When the burglar takes your items, the items will “glow in the dark” under UV light nearly forever. They will be encoded with a number that is specifically yours, and if they try and pawn them, police can nab them. 

     SmartWater also has a spray system, that can be put in a car, or even a house. If a car thief or burglar enters, a trigger can spray the forensic liquid on them and the thieves can’t wash it off! 

                        

     The company says they had a 100% conviction rate in the United Kingdom, where they started. They are also in Tallahassee, where the Police Chief there says the burglary rate fell 33% in the year since SmartWater was brought in.


                  

     City Manager Feldman is as excited as the Police Chief about trying the product in Fort Lauderdale. They want to spend $15,000 out of a confiscated funds account (taken from criminals) for a pilot project in the South Middle River neighborhood, that had 275 burglaries last year. 

     It is not a sure thing though, as former City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom is raising concerns about “by passing the procurement process”, and the “lack of a competitive process”.
 
     The company says there are a few other companies that have the technology, but none that have perfected it and proven it as they have.    

     The item is expected before the Commission in January.