In a bid to reduce cash-in-transit robberies, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has teamed up with a number of police forces during the past 12-18 months.
On the back of the success of Operation Hawk-Eye – an extremely effective collaboration with the Greater Manchester Police which last month won the Best Partnership Initiative Award at the Security Excellence Awards – and Operation Guardian with Merseyside Police, the West Midlands Police Force has now launched Operation Safer Cash.

Operation Safer Cash involves teams of armed police officers being deployed in surveillance vans to cover Cash-in-Transit vehicle routes that BSIA intelligence indicates may be targeted by thieves.

Although each of the schemes vary in detail and plan, the overriding principle is the same for all – to have a second vehicle out on the road that will actively deter the would-be robber. Indeed, this has been the key to the schemes' success to date.

Close liaison with the various police forces involved is proving to be hugely beneficial, and the BSIA very much hopes that this partnership approach will spread into other forces' regions where Cash-in-Transit crime is a problem.

It's perhaps not fully appreciated that the Cash-in-Transit function represents a vital part of our economy. To protect that service, we must all endeavour to provide a less attractive target for criminals.

Source

SMT

Postscript

Dick Hanks is the national co-ordinator of Cash-in-Transit robbery prevention for the British Security Industry Association