A New Technology Is Able to Smell Graffiti and Alert the Police

A new technology is helping authorities in Australia put an end to graffiti.

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Complex Original

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A new technology in Australia is being used to snuff out graffiti vandalism by sniffing out the crime, reports MSNBC.

The invention, dubbed Mousetrap, is being used on trains to detect the fumes that are emitted by materials typically used by graffiti artists, such as spray paint and markers. Once the system is set-off, it sends an alert to police who are waiting for the unsuspecting tagger at the next stop. The CEO of Sydney Trains, Howard Collins, reports that Mousetrap has already been set off over 70 times leading to 50 arrests. 

"Mousetrap is our latest weapon in the war against graffiti thugs damaging our trains," Andrew Constance, the Minister for Transport said in a statement, according to Mashable. "Vandals won’t know where and they won’t know when we’re watching." 

It's not a great time to be a graffiti artist. With new initiatives aimed to crack down on the practice, and a message sent by Detroit that no one is above the law, including notable artist Shepard Fairey.

Watch the video above to see Australia's new technology in action.

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