Security Spotlight

Criminals seldom rob a bank until after they have surveyed it or talked to bank staff members.Staff members at restaurants, bars or taverns have loose lips, especially when talking with friends or

One area that financial institutions don't review very often is locks, especially the lock on the customer entry doors.Some offices have thumb locks that can be turned quickly after a robbery to se

Have you taught your staff how to operate your ventilation system if they are locked in your vault?

Every financial institution instructs staff in an emergency to call 911.The only problem is most telephone systems inside our offices require us to dial 9 or 8 to obtain an outside line.When people

When closing, be sure at least one staff member is close to a telephone.Law enforcement knows the most likely time for a false alarm is at the closing or opening of a banking office.An alarm at clo

One element of closing procedures often overlooked by financial institutions is to station someone by the door ten minutes before closing.This person's job, besides acting as a greeter, is to lock

Christmas is not the only season for great scams.Now is the time to start warning your account holders to beware of tax scams.Remember to inform them the IRS won?t contact them by email with the fo

During robbery training a teller asked me how the robber knew the bank had recently installed dye packs?This question is common after a robbery where the criminal passes a note stating don't give m

Many banks now offer special seating areas with Internet access, cable television and coffee.Customers can linger there unobserved by staff for up to thirty minutes without anyone asking if they ca

You never know when an emergency will occur causing you to close a branch office quickly.A proactive way to handle this situation is to have signs made up that state the following: "Our branch is c