The Co-op is joining forces with forensic technology company SmartWater to roll out its deterrent gel to all its 2,400 ATMs.
The technology marks the stolen cash and the criminals involved in all sorts of ATM crimes with the gel, which is invisible to the naked eye but can be detected with specialist equipment and remains for up to five years.
The liquid contains a unique forensic code for each location it is installed at and is commonly used to mark property, such as alloy wheels on vehicles, or even property in a public space such as the lead on church roofs.
However, this is the first time SmartWater has adapted its product for use in ATMs. The Co-op said the solution would help improve security within the communities where its stores were located.
“The technology is at the forefront of combating ATM crime that not only impacts on retailers but can affect communities and customers too,” said the Co-op’s director of retail and logistics Chris Whitfield.
“Teaming up with SmartWater, whose proprietary technology has a proven track record in being a powerful deterrent, will utilise the latest ATM security capabilities and innovations to benefit local communities and potentially reduce crime.”
SmartWater will be installed first in ATMs at Co-op stores in the South West and Wales and then across the country.
An amount of gel equivalent to the size of a speck of dust was enough for scientists and police to do a successful analysis with the unique ‘forensic signature’ guaranteed to last five years.
Phil Cleary, CEO and co-founder of SmartWater, said its products had helped convict hundreds of criminals worldwide and had a 100% track record in court evidence.
“Simply, the ATMs protected by SmartWater now represent too high a risk for criminals and the more professional will give them a wide berth,” Cleary claimed.
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