SmartWater protects G4S Cash Services cash delivery couriers

(01/11/2007)

The latest figures from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) reveal that the number of attacks against CIT crews in London have increased by 64% so far in 2007, compared to the previous year. With around £500 billion being transported each year, equivalent to £1.4 billion per day, by around 8,000 couriers using a fleet of some 4,000 vehicles, there are major concerns over the scale of CIT attacks across the UK.

G4S Cash Services (UK) has announced that it has partnered with SmartWater Technology Ltd to develop a new product to protect its cash delivery couriers.

The UK-wide partnership sees the development of a unique forensic solution that will be incorporated into a variety of anti-theft systems, as well as the cashboxes used by G4S’s CIT couriers. As a result, criminals who break into a G4S cashbox will unavoidably become contaminated by SmartWater, which cannot be seen by the naked eye.

The joint G4S and SmartWater initiative will enable the police to directly link an offender to a specific CIT attack, which may have occurred up to six months previously, providing them with robust and irrefutable forensic evidence. The use of SmartWater has been welcomed by the police as another means to enable them to continue to improve crime detection rates for CIT crimes, which is currently 42%.

Adam Miller, Risk Director, G4S Cash Services (UK) said, “Over the last decade, the CIT industry has seen a marked increase in the number and severity of criminal attacks against couriers. The deployment of this new SmartWater solution is a major deterrent to those considering attacking a CIT courier as SmartWater currently has a 100% conviction rate when used as evidence in a court of law. We believe that our use of SmartWater will provide a valuable tool to support the police in their fight against CIT crime.

Miller continues, “This partnership with SmartWater is just one of a number of proactive initiatives we are taking in association with police forces and other key stakeholders such as the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the GMB union, banks and retailers to curtail the growing number of violent attacks taking place on the cash-in-transit industry. Along with the support we have had from the police we are convinced that this initiative represents a real boost against crime.”

Phil Cleary, CEO of SmartWater said, “We are pleased that G4S has decided to deploy SmartWater as a further deterrent to potential criminal activity against its CIT vehicles. SmartWater is currently used, in a variety of forms, by 95% of UK police forces but this is the first time that it has been used in CIT vehicles and cashboxes. The use of SmartWater has to date resulted in over 400 convictions and in many of these instances the cases have not even gone to court owing to the indisputable nature of the evidence.”

Detective Superintendent Bob Cummings, Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, said: "The incorporation of SmartWater technology in cash boxes is a significant development as the crackdown on CIT robberies continues. Industry and ourselves have been working extremely closely over the past year to develop ways to deter and catch more offenders. A number of ways to 'target harden' the process have been identified and SmartWater is just one of them.

"In recognising the trend in CIT robberies the Flying Squad has developed Operation Vanguard, which is being seen as best practice for police nationwide. This has contributed to a 42% detection rate on offences and a reduction of 64% on offences since they peaked in January. Also 2000 CIT vehicles entering London receives an escort for all or part of their journey. There is still work to be done, but initiatives such as SmartWater and Vanguard show the desire is there to tackle this trend from all interested parties."

As part of programme, specially adapted ultra-violet scanning lamps will be installed at every police custody suite in the UK to ensure that all suspected criminals can be checked for traces of SmartWater. The initiative is one of a number of steps being taken by G4S and the industry as a whole to reduce the number of attacks against the cash-in-transit (CIT) industry. G4S alone has invested around £100 million over the past five years in crime prevention measures such as armoured vehicles, body armour and innovative technology.

G4S has been working with other stakeholders on a number of initiatives to reduce the number of CIT attacks. These include:
· Two Early Day Motions (EDMs) calling for greater Government support as well as seminars and other debates among MPs.
· Meetings with Tony McNulty MP, Minister of State at the Home Office responsible for crime and policing, which has resulted in a commitment by all stakeholders to a CIT Delivery Plan over the short, medium and long-term.
· A Charter has been signed by all stakeholders pledging to take action against CIT crime a stage further and to draw all parties together under a common and overarching strategic framework which includes:
Ø Focus on developing ways to reduce repeat victimisation
Ø Maintaining standards of training for security personnel, police and other staff involved in cash handling services
Ø Raising and promoting the need for local partnerships and authorities
Ø Ensuring appropriate risk assessments and prevention measures are in place
Ø Producing good practice guidance and regular updates on activity
Ø Providing prompt analysis and dissemination of information and intelligence between all stakeholders
Ø Making the most of available technology to reduce the threat of CIT crime and to design out crime

Related topics:  Crime and Fraud Prevention   Detection systems   Security guarding 

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