Following the latest reports regarding two incidents in Ashford and Snodland, Kent, where criminal gangs employed mini diggers to rip out ATMs, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) warns construction sites, plant hire companies and insurance providers of the importance of keeping costly machinery secured at all times.
In the UK, stolen equipment such as plant and construction machinery is increasingly being caught up in the wider web of organised crime, being used as a means to break into buildings to commit robberies, or to rip ATM machines straight from the walls of banks and supermarkets, often under cover of darkness. For this reason, the BSIAÕs Cash and Valuables in Transit (CVIT) section has been working hard to reduce the threat and impact of such incidents, highlighting the risks to the retail and banking sectors as well as undertaking activity to increase awareness on the importance of ensuring that construction machinery is more difficult to steal, and, if it does go missing, is easier to trace and return.
Ashley Bailey, Chairman of the BSIAÕs CVIT section, comments on the issue: ÒAttacks to premises and ATM machines with the use of construction machinery result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time, without forgetting the costs associated with repairing the damage caused to buildings, as well as replacing the cash machines and the stolen vehicles themselves.Ó
ÒTherefore, to avoid such incidents and the associated costs, security must start with the protection of the machinery itself, for example by ensuring adequate perimeter protection is in place, with the use of sturdy fences and gates, as well as CCTV cameras to monitor the area and provide post-incident evidenceÓ adds Ashley. ÒOf course, basic precautions such as ensuring that gates are closed and that keys are not left in the ignition of unattended vehicles at any time may seem obvious, but could also go a long way towards reducing the incidence of such crimes.Ó
ÒFinally,Ó concludes Ashley, Òmaking costly machinery easily identifiable is a crucial part of the process. One of the most cost-effective ways of achieving this is through forensic property marking, by using unique taggants, invisible to the naked eye, to mark all valuable items held on site, allowing them to be traced back to their original owner after being stolen and recovered.
