Inspired by my anno for [DeathNinja]'s Radioactive pepper spray.

Simple idea really, just include a powerfully indellible compound into Capsicum or mace sprays, which would be issued to security, people wanting a self defence device, and law enforcement. Possibly include identifying compounds to make it possible to match a sprayed person to the can that was used [which in turn is registered to the owner, and reported when used or lost].

That way if you are attacked and use the spray, the person you hit will be positively identifiable for a long period (hopefully weeks), and this will aid in their future capture if they escape. Also if you are playing shenannigans with your new pepper spray, you can be caught and fined unless you make a very interesting call to the cops ("I was showing my mate and it just went off...")

The benefits for security and law enforcement should be obvious.

Any guilty party who gets hit will go into hiding, which in itself would probably aid the police ("hey, bob looks a bit like that composite witness photo, and he hasn't been into work since monday"...) etc.

-Oh yeah, if you make a big deal (and cost...) about accidental/unjustifiable discharges, it would probably reduce the number of wrongful assaults with mace...
-- Custardguts, Nov 24 2006

water cannon (with dye) http://www.referenc...e/wiki/Water_cannon
...had used water cannon with purple dye during The Troubles in Northern Ireland) [xenzag, Nov 24 2006]

Hmmm. I like it, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of tagging people in such an obvious manner. We have a criminal justice system, and that should deal out punishment according to the offence. People who were mace tagged would be obvious targets for vigilante-style revenge attacks, regardless of whether they had committed an offence. This seems like an enduring (weeks-long) punishment meeted out summarily.

On the other hand, I very much like the idea of registration and forensic identification tied to an individual (regardless of the "self defence" intended use, mace is a weapon), and I like the idea of aiding official identification of the macee. So...

what about an invisible dye, operating in the UV or near-IR? Police could then easily spot those who had been tagged with electronic viewers, and CCTV cameras sensitive to the non-visible spectrum could automatically alert their operators' attention to anyone bearing this "mark of cain". Plus, people would not be able to know whether they were tagged, so they would be less likely to hide out.
-- swyves, Nov 24 2006


"hard to wash off" dyes have been used in water cannons for years
-- xenzag, Nov 24 2006



random, halfbakery