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SmartWater for all Methodist churches
We have teamed up with experts in forensic security SmartWater to protect every Methodist church we insure from metal thieves.
SmartWater is a non-hazardous liquid which contains a DNA-style forensic code. Each church will receive its own unique SmartWater code meaning marked items can be irrefutably traced back to the owner, and criminals coming into contact with SmartWater can be linked with the crime scene. The solution is invisible under normal light, but glows brightly under UV light making it easily identifiable by the police.
We are helping churches to use SmartWater in several ways:
- To mark large sections of lead roofs and other metals
- To mark individual items of property
- In spray systems set up to catch metal thieves as part of co-ordinated covert operations with the police service
The theft of metal has reached epidemic proportions, and historically any stolen metal has been extremely difficult for police to trace. SmartWater will now provide a forensic link which cannot be removed by the thieves. A free supply of SmartWater will be sent to every Methodist church in the country that we insure.
We will work closely with police forces to target scrap dealers in particular. Police will be raising the profile of SmartWater among scrap dealers to ensure they refuse to accept lead stolen from church roofs.
In 2007 alone we have received almost 350 claims at a cost of over £575,000 for the theft of mainly lead from church roofs, as well as other items from within the churches. The scrap metal itself hold relatively little financial reward for the thieves, however the break-ins are causing substantial damage to buildings resulting in repair bills of tens of thousands of pounds. Yorkshire and the Midlands are the hardest-hit areas of the country.
The increased world demand for metals, together with speculative investment in base metals by financial investors, have seen the international price of lead and copper reach an all time high. The rewards for thieves are high and they are becoming increasingly organised and bold in their attacks. 2007 has seen an unprecedented number of claims for theft of metal, which has caused great disruption and inconvenience for all those involved in the churches that have been affected.
We want to help every Methodist church we insure with this high-tech security measure, so that these important community buildings and beautiful heritage properties are protected. Any thief considering stealing metals from a Methodist church in future should think twice.
CEO of SmartWater, Phil Cleary, said: “We are pleased that Methodist Insurance has decided to deploy SmartWater as a deterrent to further metal thefts. SmartWater is currently used, in a variety of forms, by 95% of UK police forces. The use of SmartWater has to date resulted in over 400 convictions and in many of these instances the cases have not even gone to trial owing to the indisputable nature of the evidence.”
Sgt Richard Jewell from Northants Police, said: “We are fully equipped to scan for SmartWater and are actively checking detainees for traces of the solution when they pass through police custody areas. If an offender comes into contact with SmartWater we will find them and we will arrest them.”
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Using UV light to detect the SmartWater |
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