Working partnerships vital to combating CIT crime
A co-ordinated effort between the CIT industry, retailers, industry associations and local police forces is succeeding in driving down the level of CIT crime according to Kevin O’Connor, Risk Director at G4S Cash Solutions
Presenting at the BRC Annual Retail Crime and Loss Prevention Conference yesterday, O’Connor noted that partnerships with other key stakeholders such as the Home Office, the GMB union, the British Bankers’ Association, the BRC and technology providers are also helping in the fight against cash attacks.
O’Connor said that G4S has seen a significant reduction in the number of attacks it has suffered this year and it has seen an even greater reduction in the number of attacks while delivering or collecting cash from retailers, which O’Connor believes was largely due to more retailers engaging with initiatives such as the BRC Best Practice Guidelines on CIT, and CCTV partnerships.
Partnerships with clients such as Tesco, for example, have been a great success. Presenting alongside G4S was Tim White, Head of Security for Tesco Retail Services, O’Connor explained that since Tesco had incorporated CIT risk procedures into its own structure, it had seen a reduction in the number of attacks taking place.
In addition to this, co-operation with CCTV operations has been extremely valuable in increasing the surveillance of cash delivery sites and supporting the police in tracking down attackers and successfully convicting them.
The presentation also highlighted how new technology is playing a key role in fighting CIT crime such as glue cash degradation system in cash boxes.This new technology is the very latest in the campaign against cash in transit crime in the UK. By rendering the notes in the cashbox completely unusable it will ensure that an attack on a G4S cashbox will be completely worthless to the would-be criminal.
G4S has also extended SmartWater, the unique forensic solution that has a 100 per cent conviction rate when used in a court of law, to include all CIT and ATM deliveries throughout the UK
Kevin O’Connor warned, however, that there was still much work to do in the fight against CIT criminals. During his presentation on combating cash crime and the role of technology, consultation and working partnerships, he described a constantly-evolving risk profile that now includes ‘Fagin’ style characters that run gangs of teenagers to carry out their robberies for them, and an increase in the proportion of opportunistic attacks as cash couriers cross the pavement to deliver or collect cash.
