It seems everyone wants to stamp out graffiti these days and a new technology dubbed E-Nose could be the answer. The following article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, highlighting the fact that it’s going to become harder and harder for graffiti artists to bomb certain areas while making it easier and easier for the police to bust people in the act.

With the help of chemical sensors mounted to any wall, a secret SMS can be sent to police as soon as paint touches the surface. Trails are still continuing around the nation with reports that one location has been problematic. Let’s hope that the problem associated with that location, isn’t an isolated incident.

You can read the article below titled ‘On the scent of the culprits’ written by Matthew Benns. Posted November 8, 2009. Source here.

The vandals spray-painting graffiti on the wall of a scout hall were stunned when police arrived and caught them in the act.
What they did not know was that a chemical sensor mounted on the wall had detected the spray paint and sent a secret text message to alert authorities.
University of NSW School of Medical Sciences associate professor Graham Bell has invented and trademarked the paint-sniffing technology and hopes it will bring an end to the defacing of buildings and transport in Australia.
”It takes an average of 17 minutes to deface the entire side a railway carriage,” he said. ”That’s plenty of time to detect the fumes, send a message and bring in security officers.”
A hidden sensor can detect the chemicals from spray cans up to 50 metres away. A text message is then automatically sent to the relevant security authorities.
Trials have been carried out at the Miranda Scout Hall, resulting in arrests on three occasions, and in Newcastle and Campbelltown. More trials are due to start in Perth, Adelaide and a Westfield shopping centre in Sydney.
Mr Bell said the system, which he has called E-Nose, cost $22,000 but could be rented for $250 a week.
The acting head of Miranda Local Area Command Jenny Hayes said: ”We are pleased with the system. [It] has had some success. However, one device at one location is problematic and is being fine-tuned.”

If you like the show New Inventors on the ABC, you can check out the episode where the E-Nose was shown. Here is a direct link to that episode for you enjoyment here.