Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) is supporting the residents of Kempsey to protect their valuables with the rollout of SmartWater kits.
More than 1,600 free kits are being distributed to homes as part of a new scheme which aims to make Kempsey a 'SmartWater Village'.
SmartWater is a way of keeping valuable items safe by marking them with an invisible, water-based liquid.
This assigns the item with a unique code, so it can be traced back to the owner, making it easier for them to be returned if stolen.
A 'SmartWater Village' is achieved when 80% of homes within a village have signed up to receive a kit.
MHDC has allocated Section 106 funding towards the scheme and is working with West Mercia Police and Platform Housing Group to deliver it across Kempsey. It has also received additional funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), John Campion, under the 'We Don't Buy Crime' scheme to provide the kits.
A sign-up event was held at Kempsey Community Centre where the partnership agencies came together to provide information to residents. More than 120 people have signed up to receive a SmarWater kit to date.
More events and door-to-door registrations are planned up until the end of the year to encourage people to sign up.
Cllr David Harrison, Ward Member for Kempsey, said: "It is so brilliant that Malvern Hills District Council is working hard to make the Kempsey community feel safer through the distribution of SmartWater kits. The sign-up event at Kempsey Community Centre was very successful and it was great to see so many residents interested in learning more about the project".
PC Dee Stanley, from West Mercia Police, said: "West Mercia Police fully support the Kempsey SmartWater Village initiative in partnership with Malvern Hills District Council. SmartWater is an effective crime prevention method which helps us to us keep our communities safe".
PCC John Campion said: "SmartWater is a proven way to deter criminals by making properties safer. I am delighted, thanks to close partnership work with West Mercia Police and councillors from Malvern Hills District Council, that the biggest rollout of SmartWater in West Mercia is going to take place in Kempsey. As part of my commitment to reduce crime, I will continue to support initiatives that keep our communities safe."
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Photo: Faye Allen-Carter, Community Safety Officer at MHDC, Cllr David Harrison, Ward Member for Kempsey, Amy Carter, Community Services Officer at MHDC, and PC Dee Stanley from West Mercia Police.
