Yahoo Finance Co-op to target cashpoint theft by spraying criminals with traceable gel
A traceable gel that remains invisible on clothes and skin for years will be sprayed on anyone who tries to break into a Co-op ATM as part of a new initiative to combat cash machine crime.
The Co-operative Group of retailers have teamed up with forensic technology company SmartWater to install the hi-tech deterrent.
After a pilot scheme last year resulted in a more than 90 per cent reduction in ATM crime, the technology is now being rolled out at about 2,500 cash machines at Co-op food stores across the UK.
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“Invisible to the naked eye, an amount of gel the size of a speck of dust can provide the solution for scientists to undertake a successful analysis and help police with identification, with the forensic signature guaranteed to last five years,” SmartWater said.
The gel was invented by Phil Cleary, a former West Midlands police officer, and his chemist brother Mike. The firm adapted the technology to ensure that both criminals and any cash they may steal are marked with the water-based gel.
The Co-op revealed industry figures that show the North-West is the number one hotspot for cash machine crime in the UK, accounting for almost 29 per cent of attacks between January and June this year. London was some way behind in second place at 19 per cent.
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The Metropolitan police has a partnership of its own with SmartWater aimed at cutting the number of burglaries in London.
“We welcome any crime prevention initiative such as this… Criminals contemplating attacks on Co-op ATMs should take note”, said DCI Iain Raphael, Enfield borough commander.
Co-op say the technology is effective regardless of the method used to break into an ATM.
Chris Whitfield, Co-op’s director of retail and logistics, said: “ATM crime impacts customers and communities – it can also have a disproportionate impact on rural police force areas where cash dispensers are more of a lifeline for residents and the local economy.”
