Robbery - Odds on you’ll get caught
Association of British Bookmakers
As the Cheltenham Festival gets underway next week and with the Grand National to follow in April, the Association of British Bookmakers is working with Merseyside Police to crackdown on robberies at betting shops, warning would be robbers that it's odds on they'll get caught.
The successful campaign has already seen attempted robberies of betting shops in the city plummet and the new campaign will warn people that anyone attempting to rob a bookies risks 5-10 years in prison – and all for little reward.
In the coming weeks there will also be high visibility policing across Merseyside with officers paying particular attention around local betting shops and gambling establishments.
The campaign will also highlight the enhanced security measures that betting shops have in place – including high quality CCTV systems, time-delayed safes and shops holding the lowest amount of cash possible.
Detective Superintendent Natalie Perischine of Merseyside Police said: “Betting shops are far from the easy targets criminals once thought they were. We have worked closely with the industry over a number of years and the result of this work is that criminals who target betting shops are facing really lengthy prison sentences for very little, if any, reward.
They are risking everything by gambling their futures for the sake of a few pounds. My message is absolutely clear to would-be offenders - you are facing five and possibly up to 10 years in prison for virtually no return and the odds are you will get caught.”
Peter Craske of the Association of British Bookmakers commented: “This is a good example of the work betting shop operators do in partnership with police forces and local authorities around the country to prevent crime and ensure those who commit crime in our shops are caught and bought to justice. We are pleased to continue our work with Merseyside Police in keeping crime low in Liverpool.”
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