Cashing-in on security systems

Attacks on BSIA member company security officers working in the Cash-in-Transit sector increased by 24.4% to 785 during 2002. At a time when the cash logistics business transports over £500 billion every year, it's now more important than ever, therefore, that the security industry continues to invest in innovative initiatives aimed at addressing this problem of rising crime.

Without doubt, technology has a significant part to play in combating crime and, as such, security measures within the industry at large are developing apace. The integration of traditional security measures with new technology – including the recent and much-publicised advances in digital CCTV and pavement protection – has produced solutions that provide security staff with automatic alerts of incidents in real time.

Using CCTV and biometrics
The effectiveness of CCTV cameras on security vehicles is currently being trialled by Securicor in a number of locations. Overt cameras are placed on the Cash-on-Transit vehicle both internally and externally in order to determine whether CCTV acts as a deterrent to attacks on those vehicles. The cameras are linked directly to Securicor's National Control Centre and provide 'live feed' such that, in the event of an attack, our supervisory staff can react quickly – and have a record of hard evidence to assist with any investigation.

Biometrics is another fast-developing technology that's used to automatically identify individuals by their physical characteristics, the most popular being fingerprint, iris and facial mapping recognition. This technology may be used to verify an individual's identity (for example, to control access to a secure area). One exciting progression of late has been the combination of facial biometrics with CCTV systems. This helps to ensure that only authorised Cash-in-Transit crew members can gain access to a particular vehicle.

The battle between technology and attacks on the Cash-in-Transit industry has reached a new stage with the advent of SmartWater ('Ray of light', SMT, September 2002, pp36-38). The 'device' used is a harmless, water-based chemical coding system similar to DNA profiling which is able to distinguish anything or anyone where a trace of the substance can be identified and authenticated.

SmartWater can be broken down to individual batches and licensed to particular customers. In truth, each batch comprises millions of distinct combinations, one of which is used in specific outlets and implemented within the security system so that it sprays intruders with a harmless substance which stains the skin for up to two months.

The Metropolitan Police has installed ten ultraviolet detection suites in police stations around the Capital capable of detecting minute traces of SmartWater. Every arrested suspect brought into a given station is checked for signs of the chemical which, if found, can prove that the person was at the scene at the time of activation. Premises which have installed this device are clearly signed, and evidence suggests that where it's known that SmartWater's in place, individuals are strongly deterred from committing offences.

The integration of traditional security measures with new technology, such as advances in digital CCTV and pavement protection, has produced solutions that provide security staff with automatic alerts of incidents in real time

Interestingly, the use of this technology is about to be taken a stage further when Securicor becomes the first private sector security company to pilot SmartWater on a number of its cash vehicles which service the London area.

Operation Hawk-Eye has been a great success. This joint security industry-police service initiative involves overt surveillance from BSIA-liveried vehicles, and has reduced Cash-in-Transit attacks by 77% in the first six months of operation. This is essentially an evidence gathering operation involving the deployment of surveillance vehicles to shadow operational vehicles in high attack areas.

The initiative is being jointly funded by ourselves, Securitas Security Services, the Post Office and the BSIA. The CCTV footage produced is of a very high quality, and recorded straight to VHS tape such that it may be handed to the police for evidential purposes as and when necessary.

Protection on the pavement
Smoke boxes, which draw attention to an offender, and dye technology – which ruins notes during any 'cash attack' – have helped in preventing the type of organised crime that was so prevalent in previous decades.

Millions of pounds are now being invested in developing the next stage of smoke box technology and equipment. New generation dye boxes are currently being advanced to detect any form of unauthorised entry and trigger off a destruct mechanism to dye the contents of the container. These dye boxes are being designed to meet a British specification which was developed by Securicor, smoke box manufacturers and ATM providers ('Safety in numbers?', SMT, June 2003, pp40-41) as a joint initiative to improve security.