Tis the Season for Bank Robberies...continued
Jan 20, 2023Last month we posted an article from New York City on a bank that was being targeted for robbery. We can’t make definitive answers as to how to stop this serial robber without performing a vulnerability study at the location. We can, however, make some recommendations. Last month, we asked our readers to let us know what they thought those recommendations should be.
Our comments:
1. Windows too dark; little visibility to the interior
2. Lobby could be reconfigured to have ATMs on the street. (Not many readers liked the ATM lobby)
3. The major issue we have is the nonexistence of “Public View Monitors.” We would want one in the windows facing each street with another in the ATM vestibule, having a monitor the size of a TV set you find in a sports bar. No one could walk into the ATM lobby without being on the public view monitor.
4. Another monitor inside the bank at the teller line so staff can see anyone in the ATM lobby.
Several people mentioned the chair outside as where the security guard is sitting. Only nowhere in the article was this mentioned, and is one example why a vulnerability study would need to be done. Why exactly is that chair there and does it belong to the bank?
A second reason why a vulnerability study should be performed was noted by many people, and that is the lighting around the bank. Some wanted to increase lighting outside the bank while others wanted to increase lighting inside the bank. Only by doing a night inspection could we really answer the question of lighting at this location.
Following are some of the comments made by people that were very astute!
David Turckey listed several things and made a comment I think is worth repeating, “It looks like they went for Aesthetic value over functional and deterrent.”
Helen Shaw noted a lot of details in her assessment, but one in particular really made me think. “I would take down the “We’re Hiring” sign. If the branch is open short hours, like two hours on Sunday and they are short on staff, as a crook, I’m going to know that they are an easy target. Not only are they low on staff, but most likely they have new staff.”
Holley Rudnick noted the height of the cameras that were visible. Her concern “I see cameras outside but I’m assuming the baseball cap makes it hard to identify the robber, maybe add cameras at counter height and some height tape (unable to determine if they have the height tape).” In a robbery situation like this we would want cameras in the height strips.
Michele McRoy, CCBSO pointed out, “The thing that I see wrong is that everything in that branch is in plain view. Someone would be able to see everything and know exactly what/who to target well in advance and plan the robbery so they could get in and out quickly.” Yes, using the ATM lobby the criminal has plenty of time to determine who to rob. Another reason to have your public view monitors in break rooms.
Another comment we liked came from Chuck Benz about the official comment from the bank. ”“Also the quote from the company is priceless corporate BS” and his closing comment on this “Hopefully that includes first aid and paying funeral expenses. “
Sheri Soderquist made this comment: “Side note, the bank continues to disclose how much was taken in each robbery, they should not disclose the actual amount.” The actual dollar amount of the robbery may be the reason sometimes that financial institutions don’t take the steps we think are important to protect their staff and accountholders. As Chuck pointed out a mistake here could mean a large lawsuit after paying for first aid and funeral expenses.
We had two winners of this month's contest. We want to congratulate Chuck Benz from Pennsylvania and Helen Shaw from Arkansas! They pointed out the very items we were looking for (above). We want to thank everyone who commented. This turned out to be a very popular contest and something we will do again at a later date.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras sed sapien quam. Sed dapibus est id enim facilisis, at posuere turpis adipiscing. Quisque sit amet dui dui.
Call To Action
Stay connected with news and updates!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
