A YEAR ON: Bedford Centre lives up to promise
Centre management vowed to review the cash-in-transit feature to prevent similar attacks from happening again.
Following last year’s cash-in-transit heist, the Bedford Centre has invested in a cash recycling system that will ensure undetectable movement of cash.
Developed and run by cash services and solutions company, SBV Services, phase one of the Shopping Mall Cash Recycling (SMCR) system is now up and running.
On January 29 last year, seven people, including two suspects, were injured when a shoot-out ensued between SBV guards and robbers on the escalators near the banking court.
Centre management vowed to review the cash-in-transit feature to prevent similar attacks from happening again.
The centre attracts shoppers from Bedfordview and the surrounding areas, including Kensington, Malvern and Jeppestown.
It also hosts initiatives, which benefit homes for the vulnerable in the Joburg East area.
SBV’s managing director, Mr Mark Barrett, said the system follows a new trend towards holding less cash on premises and deploying fewer guards and guns around shopping centres.
“Most shop owners are at highest risk during the movement of cash and valuables into and out of their premises. The SMCR process, which is made up of a system of air tubes to a secure vault, makes it almost impossible for criminals to work out how and when cash is being moved, and enables businesses and banks to minimise stockholding on-site in order to reduce losses if a robbery were to happen. At the same time, they have the ability to easily access cash if they require more,” said Mr Barrett.
The centre has invested over R11-million in the construction of the vault.
Greenstone Mall is another shopping centre to have introduced the SMCR system.
Mr Barrett said with more centres introducing the system, the country could see less armed security and robberies inside malls.
“Once the SMCR system becomes standard, and criminals realise that the secure manner in which cash and valuables are moved at centres is making attacks more difficult, robberies will decrease. We are making cash and valuables inaccessible to criminals,” said Mr Barrett.
