Police targeting cash van raiders

POLICE have launched a hard-hitting Christmas crackdown on criminals that target cash delivery vans.

The North-West Regional Organised Crime Unit (Titan) is working alongside each of the region’s six police forces, including Greater Manchester Police, as well as the security industry in a bid to drive down the number of offences taking place in high streets and shopping centres each year.

While local forces carry out operations to protect cash delivery vans as they deposit and collect cash from banks, post offices and ATMs, Titan works with other specialist units from each force to investigate the most prolific and serious offenders.

In March, three men from Greater Manchester were jailed for 19 years for attacking a security guard as he delivered cash to Barclays in Prestwich, before escaping on a motorbike.

In 2009, there were 189 incidents and 89 in 2010, compared with 61 between October, 2013, and November this year (including 18 in Greater Manchester).

But in the run up to Christmas, operations to protect the cash delivery vans and the guards have been stepped up.

Det Supt Jason Hudson, head of operations at Titan, said: “The men and women who deliver cash securely to local banks and businesses across the North-west do an important job. They deserve the public’s support and police’s protection.

“They certainly don’t deserve to be threatened and assaulted by criminals who ambush them as they go about their business.

“That is why Titan is working closely with individual forces in Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales and Cumbria and the security industry to deter and detect such attacks.

“The public can help by reporting any suspicious people or vehicles to their local police force..

“Although the number of robberies has fallen significantly compared to four or five years ago, we recognise that there is more to be done across the region.”

To read a full version of this story follow links to the e-Chron digital edition or buy the Chronicle.