Independent Banker - July 2021 - 29

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manager at Milwaukee-based
Johnson Controls, says the latest
ATMs and ITMs, or interactive teller
machines, boast improved security.
Some machines have three separate
cameras: one trained on the customer,
one on the keyboard and one on the
cash dispenser. He says some states
have ATM lighting laws and that the
Bank Protection Act dictates that
these machines be " clear of bushes "
and other physical types of cloaking to
discourage robberies.
Branch design
Neugebauer says as branch footprints
shrink, the placement of teller pods
or windows becomes more critical.
Tellers should be located at the back
of a branch, because it discourages
robbers in search of a speedy getaway,
he adds.
Rebecca Cicarelli, vice president
of marketing and communications
for Bethel, Conn.-based BranchServ,
says urban or rural bank locations-
especially those with quick access to
a highway-are most vulnerable to
crime. Some banks in these areas are
installing secure entry portals, which
have two sets of doors, the second of
which locks if a weapon is detected,
acting as " a man trap. "
Drive-up windows
According to Wayland, before the
pandemic, 40% to 50% of branch
" Make sure that video surveillance coverage
is modified to accommodate distancing and
the potential sprawl or increased scope of
customer lines. "
-JOHN FRIEDLANDER, KROLL
transactions took place at drive-up
windows, compared with 90% to
95% today. Top-notch security here
consists of cameras that capture
license plate information, as well
as two-way video so that tellers and
customers see each other.
Since the pandemic, there has
been a surge of crime at ATM and
ITM installations, Cicarelli says. She
cites a new type of robbery called
" hook and chain, " in which thieves
use a pickup truck in the middle of
the night as a battering ram to try to
break open a bank's ATMs or ITMs.
Video surveillance is the best
deterrent to this type of crime, as
is publicizing the fact that robbers
attempting such bold maneuvers will
almost certainly get caught. " The
hope, " she says, " is that if we shed
enough light on the fact that you're
not going to get away with this, it
will diminish. "
Cash recyclers
QUICK STAT
60%
The drop in violations of federal
bank crime statutes between
2009 and 2019
Source: FBI
Cicarelli says the latest evolution
of cash recyclers can inventory and
count cash within the recycler itself,
which means that tellers no longer
need to walk across the branch,
carrying cash to a vault.
" Cash recyclers have proven that
they don't increase the chance of
robbery and may even help with
internal theft, " Neugebauer says.
ID verification processes
Verifying vendors and delivery people
can be more difficult when everyone is
masked, Wayland says. For this reason,
ADT Commercial insists all technicians
wear branded shirts, carry badges
and inform branch employees of their
arrival time.
In addition, Cicarelli says new
touchless access controls and biometrics
make verification more reliable.
Staff training
" Training staff members is a great
opportunity to find out where they
feel vulnerable, " Friedlander says.
" Sometimes it's exterior conditions;
they may experience inadequate
lighting when they leave at night, or
they may indicate that the opening
procedures need to be modified for
better security. "
He recommends that security
training take place once a year at a
minimum, but preferably every six
months or quarter.
Neugebauer says new video systems
can use heat mapping technology to
analyze whether customers are using
marketing kiosks and can let you know
how long customers are standing in
line. Today's security, he says, offers a
wealth of new data and is not just an
added expense, but " an asset, " too. 
Elizabeth Judd is a writer in Maryland.
independentbanker.org Q 29
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - July 2021

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