Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting corrections	$ 7,800,000
Foreign Currency Translation [Line Items]
Revenues	3,885,500,000	3,121,500,000	3,135,000,000
Cash and short-term investments	1,300,000
Brinks investments in Venzuelan Operations on an equity-method basis	12,800,000	11,500,000
Venezuelan Operations [Member]
Foreign Currency Translation [Line Items]
Revenues	269,200,000
Venezuelan revenues as a percentage of total revenues	7.0
Foreign currency translation losses attributable to Brink's			85,000,000
Foreign currency translation losses attributable to noncontrolling interests			54,000,000
Foreign currency translation losses total			139,000,000
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Translation	5.3	5.3
Approved transactions limit per entity per month	350,000
Brinks investments in Venzuelan Operations on an equity-method basis	75,400,000
Venezuelan Operations [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Foreign Currency Translation [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Translation		4.3
Bolivar Fuerte Denominated [Member]
Foreign Currency Translation [Line Items]
Assets Net	56,700,000
Cash and short-term investments	$ 8,900,000
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Remaining useful lives (in years), minimum	1.0
Remaining useful lives (in years), maximum	15.0
Buildings [Member]
Property and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (in years), minimum	16.0
Estimated useful lives (in years), maximum	25.0
Buildings leasehold improvements [Member]
Property and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (in years), minimum	3.0
Estimated useful lives (in years), maximum	10.0
Vehicles [Member]
Property and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (in years), minimum	3.0
Estimated useful lives (in years), maximum	10.0
Capitalized software [Member]
Property and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (in years), minimum	3.0
Estimated useful lives (in years), maximum	5.0
Other machinery and equipment [Member]
Property and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (in years), minimum	3.0
Estimated useful lives (in years), maximum	10.0