Using cash carrying services

More than 80% of retailers and other cash businesses still walk money to the bank. This means putting employees at risk, and can limit insurance cover.

Alan Townsend, crime prevention co-ordinator for the Flying Squad, told us: "If large amounts need to be moved to or collected from the bank, the safest method is to use a recognised cash carrying company."

Graham Levinsohn, managing director of Securicor Cash Services, stressed that close working between supplier and client is essential:

He said: "Thorough communication between a security provider and a business is crucial to a successful service. Prior to the start of a contract, a security firm should thoroughly assess the security and business requirements of the client. Service and liability requirements will be agreed, as will the timings of collections and deliveries during the week.

"Leading cash logistics companies also use state-of-the-art armoured vehicles fitted with numerous security features, such as tracking devices. In addition, unique barcodes on containers, which are scanned with hand-held terminals, provide a full audit trail." Despite all the new technologies, it is not solely down to the cash carrying company to minimise the risks.

Softer targets

Alan Townsend commented: "A fundamental principle of robbery is to shorten the time that the objective is exposed. It is therefore disappointing that, in some cases, security officers are still denied access to secure areas when making deliveries."

Generally speaking, however, larger clients and cash-in-transit suppliers have worked well together to make life more difficult for robbers. This has inevitably meant criminals looking for what they consider to be softer targets, which in recent years has included smaller retail outlets and the stand-alone automatic teller machines (ATMs) increasingly found in petrol stations and supermarkets.

A guidance booklet on the specific security precautions desirable in relation to stand-alone ATMs is available from the Flying Squad by calling 020 7230 3729, or by e-mailing to info@banknotewatch.org