Cash machine crime is down (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Cash machine crime is down

CRIMES at cash machines in Swindon are down. But rather than the thin blue line it is a thick yellow one that is doing the trick.

Exclusion zones were painted around two cash points in the town a year ago and they have proved so successful that now nearly every machine has one.

The two remaining banks in the town centre without the 1.5 metre square boxes HSBC in Canal Walk and the Natwest in Commercial Road will soon be getting them.

And police say they now receive only a small number of complaints regarding incidents at the machines.

PC Andy Alexander, commun-ity beat officer for the town centre, said: "We have seen a significant drop in the amount of cash point crimes.

"The boxes have stopped crime at the machines. They are a real barrier.

"What we have done is a three-pronged attack.

"We have done the boxes, the Press have educated people about the dangers at cash points and the banks have put up notices warning people to be on guard."

As well as grab-and-run thefts, the yellow boxes have helped eliminate more sophisticated crimes.

The trick known as Lebanese loops required a piece of plastic to trap the card and someone standing nearby to see the pin.

When the card owner then walked off without their card the criminal could retrieve it and use it.

But the new boxes make that much harder. "It's almost impossible to do the Lebanese loops now because they can't get close enough to read the numbers," PC Alexander said.

"And people have become more aware and that has helped."

At the time of installing the zones, a survey showed 54 per cent of people said they would not use a cash point if there was a beggar nearby. But Cheri Wright, the anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, thinks the boxes have made people feel safer.

"It was not just about reducing crime but the fear of crime," she said. "The cash point safety zones have been absolutely marvellous.

"We have seen such a drop in crimes there.

"It's been running for a year now and we have seen a great result from them."

The first yellow boxes with the words Cash Point Users Only were painted in front of dispensers at Abbey National in Regent Street and Nationwide in the Parade.

The experiment was part of the Swindon Street Safe scheme, which aims to reduce anti-social behaviour such as cash point crime.

The It's Your Call hotline, set up to tackle anti social crime, has received 506 calls from people in Swindon since its launch in March.

Hotline

The hotline number: 0845 6052 222 is for reports of:

Rowdy behaviour and gangs intimidation and harassment of the public

Litter, rubbish and flytipping

Graffiti and vandalism

Abandoned vehicles

Nuisance neighbours

Begging and street drinking

Crackhouses and drug dealing

Prostitution

Calls will be answered by Swindon's crime and disorder team.

Besides needing details of problems, they want to know about the culprits.

Names, addresses and descriptions will help nail offenders and prevent future problems. While they would prefer if callers leave their names and contact details, information can be left anonymously.

Calls to the yob hotline are charged at local rates.

Gareth Bethell