Lauderhill

Lauderhill Distributes SmartWater to Help Residents Protect Belongings

Smartwater is a forensically-encoded liquid you can apply to personal property. If your property is stolen and recovered by police, law enforcement can then send a sample of the SmartWater from the stolen property to a lab to identify its owner.

A crime-fighting product now hitting the streets of Lauderhill has residents and law enforcement saying "thieves beware."

"If you take it, we're going to get you," said Lauderhill Commissioner Hayward Benson. "And here's a way in which we will be sure to get you."

The Lauderhill Housing Authority and the Lauderhill Police Department distributed more than 200 SmartWater CSI Residential Kits.

SmartWater is a forensically-encoded liquid you can apply to personal property. If your property is stolen and recovered by police, law enforcement can then send a sample of the SmartWater from the stolen property to a lab to identify its owner.

"Law enforcement is equipped with the black lights in order to see the presence of SmartWater in anything that has been marked," said Smartwater representative Brenda Bailey.

Once dry, this one small dot will last about 5 years and you can mark anywhere between 60 to 70 items in your home.

"I think it's a very wonderful way to help people protect themselves against thieves," said Lauderhill resident Belly Guilloteau. "Once thieves know they are watching for them, they'll be less likely to attack."

Rosalind Levy also welcomes the new product. She says she's been the victim of 3 burglaries.

"I do hope coming here that Smartwater will help, in case this should occur again," Levy said.

According to SmartWater executives, the product is already in 16 South Florida cities. In December, Fort Lauderdale police arrested a man who stole a laptop marked with the forensic liquid.

"Ft. lauderdale being where we first initiated our pilot program, we've seen a reduction of 26% in residential burglaries," Bailey said.

"This will help us as police officers go a long way," said Lauderhill Police Department Chief Andrew Smalling.

If SmartWater hasn't been distributed in your city yet, kits are available online for individual purchase. Click here to visit their website.

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