Action aplenty at crime intelligence conference
The highlight of the past weekend's CCIN conference was a staged cash-in-transit heist simulation showing how co-operation between the public, private security, and law enforcement can be effective in combatting crime.
The Civilian Crime Intelligence Network (CCIN) held its annual conference at the BCI Academy in Muldersdrift on Saturday, April 20.
Participants included the South African Reserve Bank, various units of the police, Netcare 911, the Department of Community Safety, and various private security companies.
Notwithstanding the importance of issues discussed during the conference, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly a cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery simulation carried out in collaboration between the various police units, private security providers, and private emergency services providers.
The action kicked off with a ‘spotter’ vehicle circling a CIT van. As if out of nowhere, a second vehicle appears, with the occupants shooting at, and managing to stop the CIT vehicle.
CIT guards are held at gunpoint, and the ‘robbers’ – played by local security officers – deploy explosives to blow the doors off the cash vehicle. The spotter vehicle returns to the scene and loads as much cash as possible before fleeing, just as the first security vehicles round the corner.
A shootout erupts between security officials and the ‘robbers’, after which emergency personnel take over the scene, attending to the numerous wounded.
In the meanwhile, a police helicopter and several vehicles are despatched, armed with intelligence from CCTV footage and other resources, resulting in the vehicle being spotted.
A chase ensues with the police helicopter and police vehicles in hot pursuit of the spotter vehicle. They manage to force the vehicle off the road and another shootout erupts.
While police officers and security personnel exchange gunfire with two occupants of the vehicle, a third tries to make his escape in the opposite direction, but that is not to be as a police dog is deployed, swiftly running in and taking down the ‘robber’, who is then arrested.
In the aftermath, emergency personnel take over once again while police and security officers secure the crime scene, and a search dog is deployed to look for explosives in the two vehicles.
According to BCI Security operations manager Lionel Gafney, the conference – and especially the simulation – was a huge success.
“I think, over and above all the excitement and action, it effectively demonstrated how cooperation between the public, private security, and law enforcement agencies, can be successful in the fight against crime.”
