Following successful trials with police and security staff in South Yorkshire, SmartTag is now being made available to SIA accredited security officers working in the wider Yorkshire area.
The forensic scientists at SmartWater Group created SmartTag following the increase in attacks on frontline workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Now, each security officer will be equipped with a uniquely formulated handheld spray for their exclusive use after they sit a mandatory online training course and pass an examination.
SmartTag is another initiative of the Taming Aggression Group (T.A.G), which is headed by Sir Keith Povey QPM, the purpose of which is to reduce the level of aggression in society. Its first initiative, working with South Yorkshire Police to reduce domestic abuse, was highly successful with a significant reduction in attacks.
During the trial in South Yorkshire, the SmartTag equipped security staff reported an immediate calming effect on potential rowdy incidents before they could become violent. Effectively, if an offender is sprayed with SmartTag, they risk being refused entry to any premises equipped with SmartTag detectors and, in serious offences, being arrested by the police at a later date.
Detective Superintendent Lee Berry, who launched a pilot last year with security guards when at South Yorkshire Police, said: “Our aim was to create a deterrent for door staff to diffuse violent incidents before they escalated. Over 100 canisters were deployed across the county following a successful trial in Sheffield. We received great feedback from door staff who said they had diffused situations by warning those involved that they would be forensically marked.”
Gary Higgins, COO of SmartWater added: “SmartWater is a powerful deterrent as it provides the police with the evidence they need to prosecute, and hundreds of criminals are behind bars as a result. The trial in Yorkshire with the police and security staff went very well and we believe that SmartTag will be a standard piece of equipment for all professional SIA accredited security officers.”
To find out more information, visit: www.smartwater.com/smarttag