Branch Robbery in Homeland Alert Times

Things to consider? Procedures to review
by Robert A. Goldfinger

In these times of raised awareness and posted alert levels it is important to examine the tactics that are being used by robbery suspects and review the procedures that are in place for branch or headquarters employees to follow.

Safety! Safety! Safety! The primary focus of any and all suggested policy components should be the preservation of human life. Therefore it has always been suggested that once a robbery has taken place that the doors to the branch should be locked so that the suspect(s) cannot reenter the branch. That works well if there are no other mitigating circumstances. What if that is not the case!

Recently there have been numerous incidents throughout the United States where the threat of an explosive device has been included in the Robbery. This is often introduced by the suspect in the form of a suspicious package or the suspect wearing a device and then leaving the package or device in the branch after he has completed the robbery and fled. If the suspect uses this robbery tactic, branch employees need to adjust their robbery response procedure. Once the suspect has left, the employee response should shift from the traditional response of locking the suspect out to getting everyone out. The branch manager or another person who is in charge of the branch should coordinate the vacating of the branch. The following procedures may be considered:

No one should touch or go near the package. It should be considered real until law enforcement authorities determine differently.
Don't use the phones to call the police. Some types of phone use can set off a device. Use alternate alarm notification methods. Consult with your local law enforcement authorities and your alarm provider. Teller drawer or panic buttons activations may be safer to use. Be cautious of using new wireless instruments (panic buttons, alarm key fobs,` etc.)
The manager should supervise the quick evacuation of all people from the branch.
All exterior doors should be locked once the branch has been vacated.
Police recommend that all people should be staged (pre-determined) at least 1000 feet from the building.
The manager should use her or his cell phone (outside and away from the branch) to communicate with the police.
Follow directions of the police after they take control of the situation.

Post 9/11 we have also become more aware of the utilization of hazardous/biological substances by suspects. The response to this circumstance is much the same as the above stated incident.

Additionally, branch managers need to be conscious of containment to limit or prevent exposure to the substance. Once again, any substance should be considered real until proven otherwise by authorities. Don' touch, move, smell or taste the substance. If someone has been exposed make sure they don't spread the contamination by having contact with others. Their movement should be limited to the contaminated area. When notifying authorities mention that an exposure has taken place so that emergency medical resources can respond along with police and supporting HAZMAT personnel.

While not directly associated with branch robbery, during these times of homeland alert it is more important then ever to report to law enforcement authorities suspicious people and activities. Financial institution management should encourage employees to be vigilant in identifying unusual questions posed to them. Of course the completion of a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) should be completed when the suspicious activity falls within the guidelines of federal regulations. The submission of a SAR does not have to be the only step taken. If the information may be related to recent or possible terrorist activity, local law enforcement should be notified. Also it may be appropriate to contact, the Financial Institutions Hotline that was created as part of the USA PATRIOT ACT. The Hotline is operational 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The number is 1-866-556-3974.

In conclusion, while the post 9/11 environment presents more challenges, financial institutions should use the challenges as a springboard to review existing policies and conduct the appropriate assessments. Assessment, planning and training are the best tools to create prevention methods. Well-developed methods can result in reducing risk, managing crisis incidents and limiting human casualties or injuries.

Robert A. Goldfinger is a retired police executive having been the commander of central investigations for a large urban police department. He is now the Director of Risk Management for Coastal Federal Credit Union located in Raleigh NC. rgoldfinger@coastalfcu.org.

First published on BankersOnline.com 2/23/04