A TV news photographer was near the scene of a SunTrust bank robbery in Washington, DC. He shot great footage of them leaving the bank. This video clip requires RealPlayer and may require a password. (Registration is free and this clip is linked from CNN.com if you have problems viewing it, please try there.)

The robbers struck at 10:50 AM. Survelliance videos show them dressed in dark colors and wearing hoods to hide their identity. They are heavily armed and brandishing automatic weapons. Shots were fired inside the bank. The stolen getaway vehicle was set ablaze about a mile and a half from the bank.

This is believed to be their sixth bank robbery this year. The police have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the robbers capture.

Even When You Do All the Right Things . . .
In Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 22, 2004, two thugs wearing gloves and hooded sweatshirts burst into a branch office of First Fidelity Bank and demanded that all the tellers empty their drawers.

-- The bank had wonderful video surveillance cameras.
-- They were in an office building, not on the main floor, so the branch wouldn't be a typical target (although it had been robbed previously on May 11th, that was viewed as an anomalous situation).
-- The tellers were trained to comply with robber demands, to the extent possible.

The tellers quickly complied, but when the robbers wanted cash in the vault and were told by one of the tellers, Amber Rogers, that she did not have access, they shot her. They also shot the bank's President, Mark Poole, and a customer who was getting off the elevator. The 26-year old teller died from her wounds. The men are in stable condition and expected to recover.

These trigger-happy savages snuffed out the life of a bright and friendly young woman who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and irrevocably changed the lives of those they wounded.

It is impossible to make sense of a senseless crime like this. While we all breathed a sigh of relief when police and FBI quickly arrested three suspects and an alleged accomplice (due to tips received from the public), the damage has already been done.

One of the local television stations ran a poll on its Web site:



While the poll is not scientific, it indicates that 61% of 5,228 respondents would be inclined to use the drive-thru window (rather than coming into a branch or main office) because of the recent rash of bank robberies in the city. That's fine if a person just needs to cash a check or make a deposit, but what happens when a frightened person wants to open an account, access a safe deposit box, obtain a loan?

There are undoubtedly some lessons to be learned from this crime, but it's too soon, still too painful, to begin to see what they might be.

This same scam hit a number of east-coast banks about three years ago. In one case, the dolts that carried on the scam made the mistake of hitting the same ATM too often. It was easy to catch them in the act.

In Los Angeles police are warning consumers about another ATM scam. A device is put inside the machine to capture the card itself. Then, acting as though he is on a cell phone, the thief tells the user to enter their PIN again to get the card back. He watches for the code and leaves. He returns later because the user couldn't retrieve the card, but he can. Armed with the card and the PIN he is ready to debit away.

How good is your video?
I've heard lots of complaints through the years from law enforcement professionals about the crummy quality of the video they often have to work with when investigating bank robbery cases. Outdated technology and poorly maintained equipment can lead to pictures that are far less than ideal. In some cases, it can even mean no pictures at all.

If your security video output is as bad as that on the left, which shows an alleged serial bank robber, but it looks more like a refugee from Blue Man Group, consider this when you're budgeting for security equipment next year: How would we feel about our surveillance photos in the event we experienced a robbery that resulted in injury or death to customers or employees and the felons were on the loose? If you think you would be kicking yourself for not upgrading your equipment, perhaps now is the time to get it done.

You don't want the solving of your robbery to depend upon a simple description like the one released today in a robbery in Florida: "The robber was described as a white man, about 30 to 40 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing 180 pounds, unshaven with a moustache and blond hair. He was last seen wearing a sleeveless white shirt and shorts."

In other robbery news . . .
The "Chatty Bank Robber" has been caught! You may recall hearing about this serial bank robber. He was known for chatting on a cell phone while he robbed. News Story.

A disorganized bandit in Beaverton, Oregon parked his getaway car too far away, so he persuaded a bank customer to turn over keys to the customer's car. When the robber couldn't figure out which key worked, he went back into the bank, causing enough of a delay before his getaway that police were able to apprehend him. News story.

You know, different occupations have different "tools of the trade". For a bank robber, one of them is a fast, reliable, inconspicuous, untraceable getaway vehicle. A robber in Tempe last week didn't quite understand the importance of reliability. He was apprehended after his pickup truck broken down. News story.

Still on the loose in the Porland area, the Round Faced Robber, a guy with truly hideous taste in wigs. News story.

Have you tested your alarms and panic buttons recently? In a Long View, NC bank robbery today, police lost crucial minutes of response time because the teller's panic button wasn't functioning properly. News Story.

Statistically bank robberies are down. That is a good thing, unless you are in an area where they are up. Austin, TX as an example is on pace to double the bank robberies in 2004 over last year as it has 30 year to date. "There doesn't seem to be an organized crime effort here. "Most of them are far from professional" said Austin Police Lt. Charles Black. Ernest Rodriguez, nicknamed the "Cowboy Bandit" of San Antonio allegedly robbed five Austin banks. His large cowboy hat concealed his face from the surveillance cameras.

In some cases as little as $400 was taken in these robberies. And while nine suspects have been arrested in twenty of the robberies, this must still be regarded as a very serious offense which can happen at any time. Consider the tension between nervous robber and nervous teller. Most robberies are committed by White or Hispanic males in their 30s to 40s and most are motivated by a need for drug money. Rodriguez was supporting a heroine habit. While we know nothing good will come from a situation like this, it emphasizes the need for adequate training and precautionary measures such as prohibiting hats and sunglasses in the lobby. Train staff and train again for those who missed the prior session. Protect your staff and your customers.

Can you have too much security? The residents of the Chatham neighborhood in Chicago think so. When the Bank One branch opened it had a "no guns" poster in the window and a metal detector. The local community believes this is sending the wrong message about their neighborhood and stereotypes them. This branch is one of nine Bank Ons has with metal detectors and the branches with them were selected due to area crime statistics.

Some area leaders have told the bank that if they believe the area is so dangerous, they should leave. Other areas residents believe the precautions are warranted and they feel safer.

While the sign has been removed, the metal detector remains.