Police Crack Down On Bank Robbers, Asks Banks To Ban Hoodies
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Hoodies Banned?
Police are hoping to take a bite out of bank robberies with a new crime prevention strategy.WESTERVILLE, Ohio—The Westerville Division of Police is asking banks located within the city limits to encourage customers to bank without hoodie, sunglasses, ballcaps and cell phones.
Working with the FBI, the effort is an attempt to discourage bank robbers from committing the federal offense.
Westerville police are handing out special window tags which asks bank patrons to remove hoodies, sunglasses, ballcaps and cell phones upon entering the bank for business.
NBC 4 spoke with Westerville Police crime prevention specialist Carrie Ryan to discuss the advantages of the program.
“It’s all about keeping people safe, not violating their rights. No other police department in Ohio has such a program. The FBI stats show a vast majority of bank robbers use hoodies, hats or sunglasses to conceal their identity, making it harder for witnesses and law enforcement to catch them,“ Ryan said.
A few community banks have already complied with the request. One, CME Federal Credit Union at 428 East State Street has actually had a similar policy in place since March 2008.
“We would like to think our policy has kept bank robbers away,“ said Suzanne McCann, vice president of sales and operations.
CME breached the issue several years ago, but banking executives were hesitant to install the policy. However, McCann says, a series of robberies in 2007 and 2008 fast tracked it.
Enforcing the no hoodie, ballcap, sunglasses and cell phone policy has been interesting for CME.
“When a customer opens an account we make sure they are aware of the policy. We also remind customers in our newsletters. Also, our tellers take on an active role in asking customers to comply,“ McCann said.
CME admits their hands are tied when it comes to enforcing the policy. They cannot make a person remove their hoodie or hat.
But Ryan says this is a good thing, adding that compliant customers will keep a sharp eye on those who resist. Of the big banks with branches in Westerville, all are currently evaluating Westerville police’s request.
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Reader Reactions
This is a good start, but doesn’t go far enough. They should also ban droopy pants, rap “music”, and “bling”.
White sheets with tall pointy hats would of course be acceptable.
Dear Westerville Police,
You want bank robbers to stop wearing hoodies, ballcaps, and sunglasses. To imply that bank robberies will stop because the person cannot wear these items into a bank is absurd. It not the clothes that make the bank robber, it’s the person’s morals. Are we to believe that a person with no criminal background who is shopping at the GAP and walks by few racks of hoodies, sun blockers and a Oakland Raiders ballcap is suddenly drawn to purchasing those items for the expressed purpose of robbing banks.
It is very hard to believe that the Westerville Police Department could come up with such a feckless suggestion. The only explanation must be that the department was in glazed doughnut coma the day the decision was made to release this tripe to the public. What happens if bank robbers switch from ballcaps to top hats? What then? The best way to stop bank robberies is to arrest and convict the perpetrators of the crime.
Warm regards
bank patrons to remove
O.K. hoodies
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?? even when on Rx needing eyes protected?(sunglasses)
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?? even when ballcap reversed? (ballcaps )
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?? where are we supposed to leave them? (cell phones)
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upon entering the bank for business.
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Another option that would reduce risk is to forbid anyone from entering the bank. Use ATM’s to deposit/withdraw cash. Use web to pay bills, transfer funds, etc.
‘ :-) My favorite option would be to remove place a robber’s head in clear container of formaldehyde at the entrance, with a sign stating that this guy/gal ATTEMPTED to rob our babj and failed.
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It’s all about risk:reward. Make the risk high enough and the would be robbers opt out of the potential reward.
All these banks and other businesses need to have a camera pointed at the entrance that takes a pix of everybody coming in.
sign on the door that reads “you must remove hoodie,hat and sun glasses or no service”
Why don’t they just ban customers from handing tellers a note that says “This is a stick-up”? Surely that will also prevent bank robberies.
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