A training manual to help cashiers tackle crime on the forecourt has been launched by new company Counter Crime.

The company has been set up to teach crime awareness training to those who confront the criminal at the point of sale.

The book has been designed to be a one-stop reference point for all retail crimes. Using a back-to-basics approach, the manual offers advice on handling drive-offs – systems to be implemented, how to identify it, managing civil debt, prevention measures and best practice.

It also teaches identification of counterfeit notes, coins and cards; identifies conflict escalation and how to handle it; how to deal with a robbery situation; best practice dealing with the Police in terms of evidence and intelligence gathering to assist in identification and crime prevention; and understanding the tricks and tools used by shoplifters and their behaviour.

The training team is headed by Brian Miller, who for 10 years fronted APACS (UK Payments Administration) ‘Spot & Stop’ Card Awareness Programme in the UK. He said: “There’s a great need for back to basics training. It’s a bit like building a house – you must have sound foundations to start with. There’s no point teaching management if you don’t teach the people below – that’s the ethos of Counter Crime.”

To develop best practice in all areas, Counter Crime has liaised with the Bank of England and Scottish Clearing Bankers regarding Counterfeit Banknotes; UK Payments Administration for cards; the Royal Mint regarding counterfeit pound coins; Retailers Against Crime on shoplifting and intelligence; and British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS) and the Institute of Hotel Security Management (ihsm) regarding making off without payment.

In addition to the manual, which retails at £34.99, Counter Crime offers in-house training, ‘train the trainer’ courses, and it looking to roll out e-training in the last quarter of this year. In conjunction with the BOSS, the company is also investigating the possible launch of certificated site security surveys, which, it hopes could lead to discounts in insurance.