Neighbourhood police teams in North Bournemouth and Poole are trialling a new device to help identify anti-social cyclists and motorcyclists.
SmartTag – a special, traceable forensic spray developed by DeterTeck UK – allows officers to ‘tag’ an offender and their bike with a water-based marking solution.
The solution has a unique forensic code relating to the pressurised cannister it was sprayed from, which will help to link a suspect and vehicle to the scene of the offence.
Officers using a UV light can scan the offender’s clothing and bike, highlighting the bright yellow solution to show that they have been tagged.
It will support officers with dedicated operations to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) on motorbikes, e-bikes and quadbikes.
Funding for the device comes from Dorset Police’s Innovation Hub.
Between May and July 2024, contact officers received 112 calls regarding the anti-social use of bikes off-road in the Poole and North Bournemouth areas of the county.
This equated to 20 per cent of all ASB reports in Poole and 14 per cent in North Bournemouth, notably in Winton.
Inspector Nick Lee, of Poole NPT, said: “We remain committed to reducing reports of ASB across the county.
“We are aware that ASB on bikes and motorbikes causes considerable concern to members of our communities and so we are delighted to be able to trial this new device in our bid to tackle the issue.
“The SmartTag forensic spray allows us to mark these bikes and the clothing of the rider so when we do come across them again, we can tag them to previous incidents with a view towards prosecution and conviction.
“We hope that the use of this innovative technology will act as a significant deterrent for those who are thinking of committing ASB on motorbikes, e-bikes and quadbikes in Dorset.”
Dorset Police’s Innovation Hub supports the implementation of innovative solutions, ideas, technology and products to help officers and staff improve the service offered to the public.