Protecting our couriers - new guidance review

Y T E F A S

PROTECTING OUR COURIERS

SaferCash, the Intelligence Initiative for Cash & Valuables in Transit (CViT) members has been working with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) to review the guidance on police procedures for dealing with CViT vehicles involved in non-criminal road traffic Incidents.

SARAH STAFF, SAFERCASH

Implemented by the police in 2014 to ensure that police personnel where aware of the set procedures followed by CViT couriers if they were involved in a road traffic collision, couriers on board armoured cash vehicles cannot leave their secure environment unless they are either escorted to a police station or to a cash holding facility if able to do so. This ensures the risk to couriers and valuables within the vehicle are reduced and protected as much as possible. to a robbery as the collision may have been orchestrated to disable the armoured vehicle or lure a courier from the vehicle.

Over the last six months the guidance has been reviewed by the BSIA CViT Chair Gareth Skinner from G4S on behalf of the section, and a representative from the NPCC lead for Roads Policing has ensured the guidance conforms to Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 taking into account the safety instructions in place. Assistant Chief Constable Jayne Meir from West Midlands Police, the NPCC lead for Commercial Robbery, recommended that a review should also be undertaken by the NPCC Armed Policing lead.

Sgt Leighton Doran from Merseyside Police was appointed to conduct a full review of these procedures from an armed policing perspective and was invited, alongside SaferCash to the G4S Cash Handling Facility in London, hosted by James Hodge Area Risk Consultant for London & South East. The visit involved a tour of the Cash Handling Facility and an inspection of all types of CViT vehicles and a visit to the G4S National Call Handling Centre in Chessington. This provided Sgt Doran with a full insight of industry operating procedures, enabling him to prepare advice from an armed policing perspective for officers that may be dealing with a CViT road traffic collision for the first time.

On behalf of SaferCash and the BSIA I wish to thank all those involved in this project; their time and specialist advice has been invaluable to ensure there is an effective and current NPCC guidance for the Police to assist in protecting the CViT industry when involved in a road accident.

Tackling organised physical acquisitive crime through a strong working partnership with UK Law Enforcement & our CViT, ATM & Financial Institution partners.

To report suspicious incidents phone SaferCash on 087038 10999