Armed escorts for cash-in–transit vehicles are being stepped up in the run up to Christmas, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) reports.
Their aim is to further safeguard and offer reassurance to people working in the commercial banking and security industries.
Codenamed Operation Liaison, the armed escorts are one of a number of tactics being used by Greater Manchester Police, under its Vanguard initiative (featured in the November 2006 print issue of Professional Security) to deter armed robbers. Other work includes covert patrols, overt and covert CCTV, police dogs and air support.
Follow that van
Another new initiative called ‘follow that van’ seeks to keep potential robbers guessing whether a cash delivery van is likely to get a police escort. Patrolling officers who come upon a cash-in-transit delivery while on general duties and not committed to another job, follow and observe the van on its run on an ad-hoc basis. GMP report that they are also fighting commercial robberies on other fronts that include developing best practice and training with the security industry to make them harder targets and sharing intelligence and evidence gathering to target and seize the proceeds of crime.
What they say
Assistant Chief Constable David Jones said: “Greater Manchester Police is committed to safeguarding people in the security industry from these vicious criminals who do not hesitate to use violence to achieve their aims. Greater Manchester being a highly commercialised region attracts more than its fair share of this type of crime and we are determined not to let it get a foothold. There is evidence that the proceeds of commercial robberies are used to fund other crimes, the most worrying being drugs which in turn encourages drug users to commit burglary, robbery and other crimes to fund their habits. The disproportionate effect of commercial robberies on these crimes, as well as the increasing levels of violence being used in them has led to the prioritisation of Vanguard, our multi-pronged response to commercial robberies. With Operation Liaison and the other tactics being used in Vanguard we are committed to making the security and commercial industries safer places to work.”
