Pub. 8 2013-2014 Issue 1

www.nebankers.org 28 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. Prevention Having met and interviewed more than 300 convicted bank robbers, I have identified a couple of common threads. The first is that every institution is cased. No potential robber comes into a town, approaches the very first financial institution they come across, and makes a decision to rob that branch. The potential criminal is likely to take at least one of these steps: drive by several times deciding where to park their get-a-way vehicle; walk by the building a number of times trying to get a feel for its layout; enter the branch and request a roll of quarters for a $10 bill while they are checking out the facility; act as though they are filling out a deposit slip at the island only to walk back out as if they forgot something; meet with a loan officer under the guise of an interested bor- rower; or sit in a nearby restaurant timing patrol cars and response times. The bottom line is that every institution is cased to some extent and employees need to be aware of suspicious activities—that means anything that is out of the ordinary. The majority of the people that come into your insti- tutions are legitimate customers who you see every day, every week, or every month. These are not the people who should concern you. It is those you have never seen before who should cause you worry. Make it a policy that if any employee sees an individual they do not recognize enter your institution (and if they are not in the middle of some type of transaction), approach that individual, ex- tend a hand, and say, “Thank you for visiting our branch. What can we do for you today?” That alone may keep the potential robber from choosing your institution—the last thing a criminal wants is someone looking them in the eye and getting a good description. Your legitimate customer will love it as fantastic customer service; po- tential robbers will deem that as reason enough to head down the road. The second common thread I found in interviewing convicted robbers was the importance of a male pres- ence in the lobby. The potential robber fears someone who may play “Joe Hero” and try to thwart what they are attempting. I walked into dozens of institutions with every intent of committing that robbery only to walk up to the teller, hand the person a $10 bill, and ask for a roll of quarters based on male presence. If you are unable to keep a male presence in your institution consistently, make sure you have a male presence on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Fifty percent or more of all rob- beries occur between these hours on this particular day of the week. Whether that person is a teller or the bank president, a male must be visible in the lobby during this timeframe. Apprehension If you’ve done all you can to prevent a robbery from occurring yet your institution is targeted, “be aware but don’t stare.” You have no idea what type of a person you are dealing with and you do not want to challenge or agitate the individual. Don’t stare, but look for distinguishing marks or characteristics such as scars and tattoos that make that individual stand out. When I was apprehended, the FBI told me that my cases had been filed away as unsolvable. Although they had photos and ran them in local newspapers and on TV stations, the police failed to receive a tip on me because I went outside my own “backyard.” I could have been any one of 10 million people residing in this country being of slightly above-average height but with no notable features. They also had fingerprints from the notes I had passed but, because I had never been in trouble with the law, they found no matches. What might have happened if the tellers involved in those robberies would have noticed that I had one ear that sticks out a little further than the other, or that the nail on my right-hand middle finger is crooked due to the fact that it was cut off when I was young and never healed correctly after being reattached? If these details would have been broadcast along with the photos, maybe the hotel that evening could have recalled checking someone in who had an ear that stuck out, or perhaps the salesclerk would have recalled the guy who handed her a bill with a hand that had a crooked middle finger. The bottom line: taking notice of even the slightest dis- tinguishing marks or characteristics and relaying that information to law enforcement greatly enhances the chances for a quick apprehension. Recovery The first step to take immediately following a robbery is to lock the door. This eliminates the possibility of a hostage should the robber attempt to re-enter the institution after law enforcement arrives. Employees also should attempt to observe the robber’s route and means of escape, and then relay that information immediately to law enforcement via phone. In addition, and just as importantly, each and every individual who was involved in the robbery should immediately (and not 10, 20, or 30 minutes later) write down every single detail, description, and impression in- volving that robbery. After my apprehension, and while going through trial, the most damaging testimony came from one teller who had taken it upon herself to immediately write down every description and detail that she could recall following the robbery—my hat and what kind it was; my sunglasses and what brand they were; my shirt and what was on it; my pants and what brand they were; and finally the brand and color of my shoes. When she took the stand and began Q Robbery Prevention — continued