I think we have all seen films like Speed where money has these gel caps that explode when the perp touches them. The purpose is to catch the thief red-handed (or whatever color the gel-pack is), and it is pretty irrefutable.

This SmartWater works on the same principle. It is currently being used by the Brent Police Department in the London Borough of Brent, as a theft deterrent. The theif tries to steal, and they are sprayed by an odorless, invisible, and unwashable chemical that will glow. I’m not certain whether it will glow under certain light, or just all the time.

So far, it has led to one arrest, and street robbery has decreased 40 percent and burglary going down 80 percent. It really is a great system to stop theft, and I can see it being used for many things. Considering that Halloween is a month away, I can see these used on a lot. Of course, if too many people use this glow paint for fun, then it will be hard to track down the guilty criminals.

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