Smart way to stop cash machine raids
CASHPOINTS will spray thieves with an invisible gel that sticks to their skin for FIVE years as part of a crackdown on thefts.
The special chemical leaves a signature’ on crooks which can help prove they raided an ATM long after the crime was committed.
The Co-op group has teamed up with forensic technology company SmartWater to roll out the deterrent after a string of raids in recent years.
The revolutionary substance is being installed at 100 Co-op cashpoints in Greater Manchester.
It follows a successful pilot scheme in 2016 which resulted in more than a 90pc reduction in ATM crime, Co-op bosses say.
The technology is the brainchild of a former West Midlands police officer Phil Cleary and his chartered chemist brother Mike.
While the pair can’t reveal too much about how the secret technology works, they say the gel is able to provide the crucial link between the offender and the targeted ATM.
The deterrent works by dispensing the invisible gel onto anyone trying to attack the cash machine.
The water-based gel, which glows neon under UV light, is ‘difficult for criminals to remove’ and leaves a ‘signature’ on their skin for five years.
“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 years,” the firm said.
The Co-op said the technology was effective regardless of how a cash machine was targeted.
Phil Cleary, CEO and cofounder of SmartWater, said: “This technical development represents a serious five upgrade in the security of ATMs as SmartWater products have helped convict hundreds of criminals worldwide and retains a 100pc track record in court.
“Simply, the ATMs protected by SmartWater now represent too high a risk for criminals and the more professional will give them a wide berth.”
There have been scores of ATM thefts across Greater Manchester in recent years. In March robbers ploughed a car into a Stockport Co-op in a cash machine raid.
Chris Whitfield, Co-op’s director of retail and logistics, said: “At the forefront of combating ATM crime, this proven technology utilises the latest ATM security capabilities and innovations to cut crime, providing a safer and secure way to deliver a key and convenient service in local communities.”