Fort Lauderdale Police say a new high-tech, crime-fighting water will soon be used to help catch criminals.
SmartWater CSI is a forensically encoded liquid that can be applied to personal property or even sprayed on intruders to help police identify criminals.
It's non-hazardous and nearly impossible to remove, leaving a mark for a minimum of five years that is only visible under ultraviolet black light.
Fort Lauderdale Police and the founders of SmartWater CSI held a demonstration Thursday of how the water works.
"The forensic scientists only need a speck, a speck to put him back in that liquor store, at the time of the robbery," SmartWater founder Philip Cleary said.
Cleary, a former police officer in Britain, came up with the idea out of frustration with seeing the bad guys go free.
"When I was a police officer, and I'm sure it's the same here, I knew who my robbers were, I knew who my burglars were but they were getting away with it because I couldn't get the evidence," Cleary said.
Fort Lauderdale Police think the water will help catch some of their more prolific criminals, and plan to introduce a pilot program in the South Middle River neighborhood.
"We have a long list of people who have been repeat offenders in this area," Police Chief Frank Adderley said.
The SmartWater will be rolled out to the public on Feb. 2 at Church of the Intercession at 501 Northwest 17th Street.
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