G4S to enhance security for money in transit

Security firm, G4S Security Services Kenya Limited, will use technology solutions to enhance security for money-in-transit after it lost millions of money last year, through collusion between its workers and police officers.

Speaking during a media briefing on its plan for the year, G4S East Africa Regional managing director, Mr Adam Miller, however, pointed out that the risk was still lower compared to other countries where they operate.

“There is a changing risk profile for cash-in-transit and we have had to change the way we communicate with the police,” Mr Miller said.

He added that the company will enhance vehicle tracking and vetting of officers, among other measures, to respond to the new threat on cash-in -transit.

The firm, which is a local subsidiary of G4S International, lost huge sums of money on transit to banks, which indicated a collusion between rogue police officers and its own employees.

However, compared to Britain, which experiences 1000 attacks in a year and South Africa with 500 attacks, he said, the risk was lower in Kenya, registering under 10 attacks last year.

The firm’s acting managing director, Mr Jackson Muchira, said the cost of security for cash-in-transit had increased after the government demanded escort vehicles with police officers be used.

This, he said, had worked and there has been no armed attack on security vehicles, but added that new threats had emerged and that criminals had changed tact.