An adjournment debate in the house of Commons, organised by the BSIA and the GMB Trade Union, has witnessed significant support for the joint campaign to cut down on Cash-in-Transit crime.

Entitled Combating Cash Delivery Crime, the campaign aims to reflect the serious nature of this type of crime while encouraging the Government and the police service to assist in reducing the number of attacks on Cash-in-Transit couriers.

Cash-in-Transit companies across the UK provide an essential public service by supplying cash to UK banks and businesses. However, in 2005 there were 836 reported attacks on service crews. Of those attacks, 208 involved a firearm and 170 resulted in an injury.

Business crime to human crime

The Adjournment Debate was secured by Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North and a staunch supporter of the campaign. He recalled the fuel protests of September 2000, warning that we would all be facing "a similar situation" if cash deliveries were to be seriously disrupted.

Andy Burnham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office and MP for Leigh - said that the Home Office "believes such crimes are very much crimes against people" and that their reclassification from a business crime to a human crime is "under active consideration".

The Home Office will also be encouraging police forces to "look at best approaches and tactics" while addressing "practical issues". Added Burnham: "When crews arrive at a given location with cash, is that cash being sped through the branch with appropriate haste?"

Other MPs who engaged in the debate included Linda Waltho (MP for Stourbridge) and Michael Foster, the Worcestershire MP who congratulated both the BSIA and the GMB for "the way in which they have joined together for this campaign" - an endorsement echoed by a number of fellow MPs.

Positive action is paramount!

BSIA chief executive David Dickinson stated: "We are very encouraged by the comments made by all of the MPs who attended the Parliamentary session. We were also pleased to hear Andy Burnham reiterate the statements made by former Home Office minister Hazel Blears earlier in the year. We are now looking forward to some positive action to combat the rising number of attacks."

Gary Smith, the GMB Trade Union's national officer, explained: "Every working day there are an average of two robberies where GMB members are subject to an attack by criminal gangs and injured in some way. The crime of attacking cash crews must be reclassified to a crime against the person, and the criminals punished with the utmost severity."

Cash-in-Transit attacks have continued to rise in 2006, with a 12% increase in the first quarter when compared with 2005.

Secure shredding moves into a new era with BS 8470

Secure shredding in the uk is moving into a new era thanks to the development of a British Standard for the secure destruction of confidential material.

The BSIA has led the way in the development of BS 8470, which will provide customers with further confidence that their chosen information destruction company works to the very highest of standards.

The BSIA’s Information Destruction Section Chairman Simon Pearce told SMT: The new British Standard 8740 outlines the key requirements of a professional information destruction company. Security is integral to this. That means end users will be able to rest assured their confidential material is in safe hands.

The BSIA’s Information Destruction Section has been at the forefront of the development of this British Standard, and we are proud to be among the first individuals to work towards its operational guidelines.”

The new British Standard covers the following areas: material-specific shred sizes, the various requirements regarding the installation of a monitored intruder alarm and a monitored CCTV system, a prerequisite for the security vetting of all staff and specific obligations with regard to the security of both collection vehicles and on-site destruction vehicles.

End users who would like details of BSIA-registered companies should log on at :
www.bsia.co.uk/shredding

Source

SMT