December 22, 2004
Bold thieves in Ireland stole the equivalent of more than $40 million Monday night from Northern Bank in Belfast, Ireland after taking two senior bank executives and their families hostage a day earlier. Posing as police officers, the robbers went to the home of one of the bank officers pretending to convey news about a relative being involved in an auto accident. After capturing the bank officers and their families, the robbers ordered the bank officials to "act naturally" as they sent them off to the bank for their normal shift, threatening to kill the kidnapped family members if the men failed to cooperate or tried to raise an alarm. As the end of the business day approached and other employees left the bank, the hostages began funneling cash to the robbers and continued to do so over the course of several hours.
- Do your employees know precautionary measures they can take to reduce the possibility of being kidnapped or taken hostage?
- Have you addressed the potential danger to family members in your training sessions?
- Are your employees prepared to deal with the aftermath of a robbery?
Read about the Irish bank bandits and more in our new article "Banks and Hostage Attacks," then peruse the collection of links below to articles and resources on BankersOnline that can help you both in preparing for the type of robbery suffered by Northern Bank and in dealing with its after effects.
Kidnapping/Extortion Checklist - Guru Hussam Al-Abed contributed a Kidnapping/Extortion Checklist that provides helpful suggestions for staying alert to indicators that someone nearby may be stalking you and what to do in the event you are kidnapped.
Home Invasion/Hostage Vault Robbers -- Guru Barbara Hurst's article from the Bankers' Hotline outlines real-life examples of this type of crime that could be helpful in your training.
Policies on Bomb Threats, Kidnapping, Extortion - Gurus Dana Turner and Hussam Al-Abed answer a question about bank policies.
Take The Family Pictures Off Your Desk! - Security expert Brooke Blake talks about home invasion/hostage situations and offers tips for reducing your vulnerability.
Robbery Prevention - A Diebold security expert authored this article with proactive steps to create an environment that deters criminals from considering whether to rob a particular branch.
Is Your Employee Contact Info Current? -- This article by Executive Editor Mary Beth Guard emphasizes the importance of keeping your employee contact information current and links you to two helpful forms to aid in that process.
Employee Conduct During and After a Robbery-- Here's a printable ten step checklist to remind employees of proper conduct during and after a holdup.
Dealing With Secondary Wounding -- The unthinkable happens: a robbery occurs. Minimize adverse emotional consequences to those directly affected by familiarizing yourself with the concept of "secondary wounding" in this piece by Dr. Lawrence Brock.
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