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5 Event Security Solutions to Keep Money Safe at Large Events

Event security is a top priority for any Event Manager.  Being an Event Manager at a music event, arts performance, sporting event, industry trade show or other similar event can be fairly stressful at times, especially when you’re dealing with large numbers of the general public and high volumes of cash changing hands.  Everything from on the door ticket sales, cash floats, food and beverage takings, event merchandise and other saleable goods combine to create the potential for huge sums of cash to be amassed at the event site.

Event venues and cash desks can be prime locations for thieves to target, and sometimes it’s not always the outsiders you need to be wary off. Large sums of cash can prove too tempting for staff with ‘sticky fingers’ too, so it’s important to have an cash security plan in place at your event to manage and protect your takings, after all your hard work to get the event up and running smoothly.

One such event example is the well-known UK music festival, Glastonbury, which attracted around 200,000 people to Worthy Farm in the village of Pilton, Somerset earlier this year.  In June, reports indicated that 109 crimes occurred at the event and 44 people were arrested – mainly for theft and drug offences.  A group using counterfeit £20 notes at festival stalls were also arrested.

So what tips can we offer to Event Manager on safe cash handling, storage and removal at events to maximise event security?

1. Hire a Cash-in-transit company

Companies such as G4S or RMS Group Services specialise in event security.  They can collect money on site and take it away in a secure vehicle.  This removes the responsibility from staff who are cashing up at the end of a long day, and it minimises the risk to them from transporting large sums of cash in a non-secure vehicle.

2. Use coin and note counting machines

Coin and note counters were great inventions! These take away a huge amount of the burden for cashiers at events, saving them loads of time, and minimising the risk of human error as they do the counting for you.  Coin and note counters are an efficient way of getting money quickly and accurately counted on the event site and locked away in a drawer deposit safe.

This Safescan 2000 Portable Bank Note Counter can count up to 600 notes per minute and tools such as UV money detection pens and counterfeit detectors can be used by cash handlers to check the authenticity of the notes you’re being presented before acceptance.

3. Lodge money into drop safes and use cash-in-transit companies for collection

Cash can be kept safe at events in drop safes due to a dual key locking system on the main door of the cash drawer – without the 2 keys the drawer deposit safe can’t be opened. One key should be given to the staff member in charge of storing the cash on site, and the other to the cash-in-transit company. Both will need to be present to enable the cash to be moved from the site into a secure vehicle.

Drop safes can start from little more than £50 depending on the size of the safe, material used to construct it and the level of protection it offers.  For example, a Chubb Counter Unit is made from solid sheet steel and can store up to £350 banknotes.  It has two key locks – one will open the storage unit and the second will release the counter so that it can be emptied.

By comparison this Burton Vehicle Deposit Safe comes in 3 different models which range in price from approximately £150 to £350.  Burton’s drop safes are designed to fit into delivery vans and lorries and include a separate base unit which the safe is locked into.  This is fixed inside the vehicle.  Similar to the Chubb drop safe, there are 2 key locks – one for the base plate and another for the safe door, enabling drivers to remove the safe from the vehicle without accessing the safe’s contents.

4. Place Security Safes on site

Event managers should plan ahead and have a number of sizeable security safes located on the event site to store the coinage.  These should be protected by either a keylock or an electronic lock, with only a limited number of approved members of staff being issued with access keys or pin codes to minimise the risk of internal thefts.  The cash can then be transported away from the site by your cash-in-transit company.

This Charvat Grade 2 Security Safe can hold up to £17,500 in cash, is free-standing and can be floor anchored for extra security.  It comes with a solid double bitted key lock for the door and drawer and you can choose from electronic or biometric methods of access.  It’s available in different colours and can be left or right hinged to suit your needs as well.

5. Don’t forget about Food & Drink storage

It’s not just money that event goers may attempt to steal.  Make sure that your food and drink stocks are also secured from opportunist thieves.  These can be locked up in steel containers, and only made accessible when needed.  Don’t leave keys lying around and limit the number of key holders as far as possible.

Hopefully these tips and product ideas will help you to plan and store cash safely during the event, and to transport it from the site post-event.

Many other security product options are available on our site and if you need help to choose the most suitable products for your event, contact our team on 028 9081 2010 or info@barringtonsecurity.co.uk.  We’ll be more than happy to talk you through the various options, features and prices to suit your needs and budget.

Barrington Security

Be Safe, Be Sure, Be Barrington Secure

Barrington Security limited are agents for Barrington Watch Winders, Bordogna Group, Burg Wachter, Burton Safes, Charvat Safes, Chubbsafes, Britannia Safes, Dudley Safes, Igloohome, Phoenix Safes, Ring, Risco, Safescan, Scan Coin, Securikey & Suzohapp.

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