Smartwater
This section of the website is about how to mark your property and the benefits of doing so.
Property marking involves branding personal items such as mobile phones, televisions, cameras, bicycles and much more. The items are branded through a number of methods designed to be most effective. All methods are used in the Vale are free to residents.
Ultra-violet marker kit
An ultra-violet marker pen cannot be seen by the naked eye. It requires an ultra-violet light to show up. Your property is therefore not visibly marked and the appearance does not change. The UV marker is used to record a house number and postcode on an item, for example 25: AY55 2BB. Property marking in this way ensures that an item can be identified as belonging to you and no-one else. Property marked equipment that has been recovered by the police is systematically checked and can be returned to an owner.
This system also allows the police to identify goods as stolen, for example when goods are found in an offenders property that are marked to another address.
Smartwater
Smartwater is an advanced version of the UV pen. It uses a system whereby the water has a unique DNA, or signature, which is applied to property. The Smartwater code is centrally recorded for each property. Items that have been marked can be traced to the exact location and owner. Smartwater is more durable and limits the chances to tamper with the property mark. Smartwater is available to victims of burglary for free.
Date Updated: 12/01/09