Police follow this vehicle?

[PeteMorris]

This could feasibly be the shortest thread of all time....

 

Anyway, I was following a Loomis cash collection van this morning, and on the back was a quite large, yellow sticker which said "Police follow this vehicle"

 

I've seen them before and never quite 'got it'.

 

Is it a request? As in "Police....Please follow this vehicle"....That being the case why?....Why would a police car abandon anything else he was doing and simply follow the van for a jolly jaunt to the next pick up?

 

Or is it a statement of fact? As in "I have police following me, so don't bother to rob me"

[biotechpete]

I believe that the police have the ability to track the movements of the vans remotely in real time and sometimes follow them with actual cars or helicopters when intelligence suggests it might be necessary. Indeed they are sometimes escorted by armed police. But are they constantly followed by police officers....no.

 

http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/crime/8689112.Cumbria_Police_to_step_up_protection_for_cash_vans/?ref=arc

 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/crime/armed-patrols-for-cash-vans-to-deter-robbers-1-4009959

 

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/armed-police-to-guard-security-vans-698145

 

http://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/10060657.Police_step_up_protection_of_security_vans_during_festive_period/

[PeteMorris]

I'm still confused...is the notice a statement of fact? Or a request?

 

I looked at the links you posted, but it's still not definitive. Yes I appreciate in the run up to Christmas, attacks 'could' be more prevalent, but those notices aren't there just for the Christmas season. They're on there all year round.

Edited December 11, 2014 by PeteMorris

[biotechpete]

I'm still confused...is the notice a statement of fact? Or a request?

 

I looked at the links you posted, but it's still not definitive. Yes I appreciate in the run up to Christmas, attacks 'could' be more prevalent, but those notices aren't there just for the Christmas season. They're on there all year round.

 

They're not a request. They are there as a deterrent and I think on the whole it's a lie. What they mean is "Police could be following this vehicle don't risk robbing it". It's just like the "this is a neighbourhood watch area" notices or the speed camera warning signs. They are quite often not there.

 

I posted the links because obviously if police routinely followed every cash van, there would be nowhere to 'step up' the protection to. So they clearly don't.

[Cyclone]

If it's a notice shouldn't it say "Police are following this vehicle".

 

As it stands it sounds like an instruction to the police.

[PeteMorris]

If it's a notice shouldn't it say "Police are following this vehicle".

 

As it stands it sounds like an instruction to the police.

 

Or rather a 'request'?

 

---------- Post added 11-12-2014 at 09:51 ----------

 

They're not a request. They are there as a deterrent and I think on the whole it's a lie. What they mean is "Police could be following this vehicle don't risk robbing it". It's just like the "this is a neighbourhood watch area" notices or the speed camera warning signs. They are quite often not there.

 

I posted the links because obviously if police routinely followed every cash van, there would be nowhere to 'step up' the protection to. So they clearly don't.

 

So basically it's a load of codswallop?.....A bit like the notices in some shops which declare store detectives operating in this store....It's highly likely they aren't but you never know....Does it deter shoplifters?....Almost certainly not!

[tzijlstra]

I wondered about this as well for a while. What I came up with is this: they have trackers that are connected to a corporate security room, if the vans go of course for no apparent reason they will automatically contact the police to ask them to follow the van.

 

It is a deterrent but I don't think it is codswallop like most other deterrents.

[Detetcive]

If it's a notice shouldn't it say "Police are following this vehicle".

 

As it stands it sounds like an instruction to the police.

 

...or "Police sometimes follow vehicles like this one. Honest"

[yorky15]

They could also put a cardboard cut out of a bobby or Rambo on the back, or mounted on the roof.

[PeteMorris]

I wondered about this as well for a while. What I came up with is this: they have trackers that are connected to a corporate security room, if the vans go of course for no apparent reason they will automatically contact the police to ask them to follow the van.

 

It is a deterrent but I don't think it is codswallop like most other deterrents.

 

That being the case isn't it a bit pointless putting the notice on the back of the van anyway? If it's being tracked by the security company, and they (if it deviates from it's course) contact the police to request them to 'follow' it...

 

I don't know, but I would imagine the most vulnerable time for the vehicle would be when they have pulled up at a pick up and were actually transferring cash.