An armored vehicle (also known as an armored cash transport car, security van, or armored truck) is an armored
van or
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
used to transport valuables, such as large quantities of money or other valuables, especially for banks or retail companies. The armored car is typically a multifunctional vehicle designed to protect and ensure the wellbeing of the transported contents and guards. Typically customized on a basic van or truck chassis, they feature
bullet-resistant glass,
armor plating
Military vehicles are commonly armoured (or armored; see spelling differences) to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, shells, rockets, and missiles, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured fighti ...
, and reinforced shells and cabs. Armored cars are designed to resist attempts at
robbery and
hijacking, being able to withstand bullets from most
handguns
A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...
and
rifles, as well as extreme degrees of heat, explosives, and collisions.
History
The earliest form of armored transportation for valuables that actually went into production were the "ironclad" treasure wagons designed by the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage Company during the
American Old West.
[ November 24, 2015] Back then, a platoon of soldiers and cavalrymen were used to transport valuables such as gold safely across the lawless frontier. They were not always successful in escorting their valuables, and some robbers managed to hold up and rob these transports, such as what happened in the
Wham Paymaster robbery
The Wham Paymaster robbery ( ) was an armed robbery of a United States Army paymaster and his escort on May 11, 1889, in the Arizona Territory. Major Joseph W. Wham was transporting a payroll consisting of more than US$28,000 in gold and silver ...
and the
Skeleton Canyon massacres. In
Deadwood, the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage Company suffered robberies along the criminal-infested Deadwood to Cheyenne trail that also resulted in the death of one of their
shotgun messenger
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a shotgun messenger was a private "express messenger" and guard, especially on a stagecoach but also on a train, in charge of overseeing and guarding a valuable private shipment, such as particularly the ...
s named Johnny Slaughter. In order to deter bandits and prevent future robberies, the Stage Company built two steel-plated treasure coaches named ''Slaughter'' (after the former shotgun messenger) and ''Monitor'' (after the famous
USS ''Monitor'' in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
). The stagecoaches had 5/16th-inch thick steel plates, portholes for guards to shoot from, and inside of each coach was a strongbox with walls three inches thick that was bolted to the floor, and was said to be able to resist assaults for 24 hours. Although the stage coaches were impenetrable, they still left its driver and shotgun messenger unprotected.
On September 26, 1878, the Monitor was attacked by the Charles Carey Gang as it left Deadwood. The gang killed one of the passengers, stopped the carriage and took over $27,000 worth of gold and valuables.
Among the first armored cars built was the Bellamore Armored Motor Bank Car, of 1910, which was meant to function like the banking service armored cars of today, but also as a mobile bank branch. It was built on an
Autocar Type XXI truck. It was not until
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
came out with the
Rolls-Royce Armoured Car in August 1914 that the first armored vehicle was introduced to the
British military. The vehicle proved to be superior during the war, creating a demand for armored cars across the globe. In 1930,
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
introduced the Nurburg 460, which was an armored car used to protect
Pope Pius XI. As the armored car became more and more popular, vehicle manufacturers around the world started creating their own versions.
Usage
Financial industry
Armored cars are most prominently used in the financial industry to
transport currency, financial information, or other valuable assets.
Jewelry
Many jewelers use armored cars to transport jewelry and materials to their stores, as the valuable nature of such items make them vulnerable to potential robbery attempts.
Education
Some schools may use armored cars to transport money made by fundraisers or cafeterias. Some universities may have a university bank, and they may require an armored car to handle large amounts of money.
Vehicles
An armored shell and cab are customized on a basic van or truck chassis. These vehicles are designed to resist attempts at
robbery and hijacking.
Bullet-resistant glass and reinforced shells and cabs are designed to handle bullets from most handguns and rifles.
Traffic safety and security
Some armored cars in certain countries may be cleared to have flashing
warning lights or
sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
. Most armored cars have a
bullbar
A bullbar or push bumper (also (kanga)roo bar, winch bar or nudge bar in Australia, moose bumper in Canada, livestock stop (initially a term used to refer to locomotive pilots) or kangaroo device in Russia, and push bar, ram bar, brush guard, ...
or strengthened
bumper
Bumper or Bumpers may refer to:
People
* Betty Bumpers (1925-2018), American activist, First Lady of Arkansas, wife of Dale Bumpers
* Dale Bumpers (1925–2016), American politician, governor of Arkansas and senator
* Bumper Robinson (born 197 ...
to
ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
through
blockades
A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force.
A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which a ...
or other road objects if under attack. They normally have
CCTV cameras which are watched by the driver, recorded in the van and also recorded at a remotely located
control room
A control room or operations room is a central space where a large physical facility or physically dispersed service can be monitored and controlled. It is often part of a larger command center.
Overview
A control room's purpose is produc ...
in case the in-van recordings are stolen by thieves or attackers. With the advent of
GPS technology, armored cars are often equipped with tracking devices that can be monitored by the company, letting them see if the vehicle leaves the planned route. GPS can also be used to prevent the rear doors from opening except at designated locations, and can be combined with remote-control systems to disable the engine in the event of theft or hijacking.
Access control
A number of tools are applied to prevent access to the van by non-
security staff including removing
external door locks.
The vehicle may or may not be carrying armed guards. Such armored cars are usually operated by security firms, and are therefore often referred to as "security vans".
Guards
Most armored cars have two to three occupants:
* A driver, who is normally never allowed to leave the vehicle until it returns to the garage.
* One or two guards who deliver the valuables, often colloquially known as the "coal bag".
Their main duty is to stay watchful, and to load and unload the valuables as fast as possible.
Armored car guards may wear
bulletproof vests and sometimes
ballistic helmets.
Guards may be armed, sometimes with
handguns on their person and
shotguns or
rifles in the vehicle. Armed guards are required to undergo firearms training and may require permits for being a guard or to carry an exposed firearm. Training may also include guidance on remaining calm in emergency situations, such as confronting armed criminals; assisting injured colleagues; notifying local
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education ...
; following traffic rules; and choosing the safest routes for transportation.
Five member states of the European Union, namely
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
,
Sweden, and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, as well as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, prohibit weapons during
cash-in-transit (CIT) operations.
[''A comparative overview of the legislations governing the Cash in Transit private industry in the 15 EU members''](_blank)
. CoESS / UNI-Europa joint Report. October 2004, p. 14. In parts of the United States, such as
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
, armored car guards are permitted to carry weapons after reasonable checks. In addition, armored car robberies, like bank robberies, are federal crimes in the United States which will always include the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
.
Alternatives
Intelligent banknote neutralisation system
An intelligent banknote neutralisation system (IBNS) is a security system which protects valuable items by rendering them unusable or easily detectable if an unauthorised individual tries to gain access to them. Dye packs are commonly used to safe ...
s are often used as an alternative to armored cars or as a complementary protection for CIT (for example, in semi-armored cars).
Other uses
Despite their primary function as a safe means to transport valuable materials from one place to another, armored cars are occasionally used for other purposes. For example, during the 1997
North Hollywood shootout
The North Hollywood shootout was a confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu, and members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Ange ...
,
LAPD officers commandeered an armored car in order to extract wounded civilians and officers from the scene towards the end of the shootout.
[Critical Situation, "North Hollywood Shoot-out".] This led to the introduction of specialized armored
SWAT vehicle
A SWAT vehicle, also known as an armoured rescue vehicle, a vehicle used by police tactical units to respond to incidents. These are often non-military armored vehicles which offer protection to the passengers and can additionally be used to tran ...
s for such situations.
See also
*
Armored car (military)
*
Armored car (VIP)
*
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, ...
*
Armoured personnel carrier
*
Safeguards Transporter
A Safeguards Transporter (SGT) is a truck developed for and used by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous affiliate agency of the United States Department of Energy, for the ground transport of nuclear weapons in t ...
*
SWAT vehicle
A SWAT vehicle, also known as an armoured rescue vehicle, a vehicle used by police tactical units to respond to incidents. These are often non-military armored vehicles which offer protection to the passengers and can additionally be used to tran ...
*
Non-military armored vehicle
Non-military armoured vehicles (paramilitary armoured vehicle in some cases) are armoured vehicles used outside professional armed forces. While primarily invented and used for defense/internal conflicts from an equally well armed organized force, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armored Car (Valuables)
Commercial vehicles
Armoured vehicles
Trucks