Security: Beat thieves at their own game

Information-sharing system alerts licensees that thieves are in the area robbing gaming machines.

Earlier this summer a spate of thefts from pub gaming machines in West Yorkshire highlighted the trade's vulnerability to this kind of crime. In fact it is estimated that machine crime currently costs businesses around £36m a year - a figure that is growing fast as organised thieves devise ever-more ingenious ways to rob the cash box and in 97 per cent of cases escape the law. But the machine industry is starting to fight back and pubs are being urged to join a Pubwatch-style scheme to foil the crooks.

MachineGuard-UK, an internet-based information network, has the support of most of the UK's police forces and is already used extensively by amusement arcades and casinos.

Members communicate through a secure online forum where they get access to CCTV footage and stills of perpetrators and share information to better protect their premises against crime.

Security experts​

Partnership working of this kind has seen reported machine crime fall by more than 50 per cent in participating premises. Machine-Guard, run by the organisers of the gaming industry's international exhibition, ATE, now wants to develop the scheme to promote best practice to everyone with gaming machines.

In April it introduced a symposium drawn from security experts in the gaming industry to draw up an action plan to tackle machine crime in a more proactive way. It is actively looking for licensees and pubcos to join the group.

MachineGuard managing director Gary Pettengell, a former police officer, says thieves have invented tools they can use to raid machines in such a way that in some cases businesses remain unaware that they have even been robbed.

"Thieves can be in and out of premises in minutes, thousands of pounds richer having caused no damage," he says. "The pub sector is very much seen as an easy target. There is a gaping hole in the industry's defences and there is no co-ordinated approach to fighting back.

"While it is impossible to completely eradicate machine crime, many measures can be taken to reduce it and help protect premises."

MachineGuard's success has been achieved by creating a network of businesses to effectively act as a kind of neighbourhood watch for their region. Members join forces to tell fellow operators when a premises has been targeted and give details of the perpetrators via the scheme's communication network. Typical alerts include live information on crime and regular updates to provide an early warning system of security risks in specific areas.

Text message alerts to mobile phones have now been developed to include publicans without easy access to a computer.

"Unfortunately, the police know very little about the perpetrators and information regarding machine crime takes months, sometimes longer, to filter through," says Gary.

"It incenses me to see organised gangs buy the latest machines, strip them down and devise ways of stealing from them. They design tools to empty machines and return every week to do it again.

"These tools are sold on for thousands of pounds each. It's a lucrative business widespread across pubs, arcades, bingo halls, betting offices, holiday camps and anywhere else with slot machines.

"MachineGuard's unique position enables us to highlight crime trends, collate information and pass it on quickly and efficiently to a national network of manufacturers, operators, the police, the courts and industry associations."

Lockable cabinets​

MachineGuard is also working on low-cost solutions to the threat of overnight burglaries affecting the pub sector including a range of lockable security cabinets for machines - a proven deterrent to burglars as they delay them in getting to the cash boxes.

• If you wish to discuss machine security or contribute to the Security Symposium you can contact Gary Pettengell on 01502 537719 or email members@machineguarduk.com.

Pictured: Pub gaming machines are regarded as an easy target for criminals.​

Inaccessibility is the key deterrent ​

West Yorkshire crime prevention officer PC Colin Whiteley advises on machine security.​

It's tough enough trying to make a living and keep the customers happy without having to divert your attention to deal with some crook who has broken into your pub and stolen money from the fruit machines, cigarette vending machine or cash from the pool table.

Not only do they have a direct impact on your earnings, invariably the damage caused to windows, doors and fixtures as a result of the break-in is expensive to repair.

It may be the the fruit machine operator's responsibility to fix a damaged machine but what about the cash that has been taken or the cost of replacing products in cigarette machines?

Generally the level of security afforded to a fruit machine is laughable. It may be someone else's machine but it's your place so if something does happen it's your problem.

Perhaps now would be a good time to review your security.

If you make it difficult for the thief they should leave you alone. Thefollowing guidelines will help you remove temptation:

• Starting from the outside, how good is your lighting? Strong, uniform lighting around a building can act as a deterrent. Low-consumption sodium or halide lamps, operated on a dusk-to-dawn basis by photoelectric cell, are the types to use
• How secure are the doors, windows and fire escape doors? Fit extra locks if the originals are not secure enough
• Is the building covered by a British Standard burglar alarm system, does it give maximum cover and is it maintained regularly? Your insurance company may request that you have a system approved by either the National Security Inspectorate, designated by a NACOSS medal, or the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board
• Do you live on the premises or is it left unattended? Does the alarm system contact a keyholder or are you linked into a police response?

It does not take very long to break into a fruit machine. You need to narrow that timeframe by ensuring the machines are inaccessible. There are good strong steel cabinets on the market fitted with roller shutter doors and barrel locks, which you can use.

This solution together with the alarm system will cut the time needed to access the machine. Thieves know they only have a short time - as little as three to four minutes to gain access. They will not risk staying any longer and getting caught.

There are similar systems to protect cigarette machines. In all circumstances speak to your supplier. They may be able to provide a secure cabinet.

Signs can also work in your favour, for example: "All monies are removed from this machine on a daily basis". Every little helps.

If you need help, contact the crime prevention officer at your local police station. They will carry out a free security survey to give you an unbiased picture of what steps need to be taken to beef up your security arrangements.