NCJ Number
77940
Journal
Security Magazine Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1981) Pages: 14-15,17,19
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Noting that bank robberies in the London Metropolitan Police District nearly doubled in 1980, this article examines bank robbery patterns in both the United States and in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and advocates better prevention.
Abstract
London bank robberies increased from 21 in 1979 to 38 in 1980. On the other hand, 14 such raids were recorded for New York during a single day in 1979. Further, a special research project, commissioned by the Washington Bankers' Association, showed an average annual increase in U.S. bank robberies of 14 percent between 1960 and 1977 and of 24 percent between 1978 and 1980. Additional project findings described in the article include the reasons why bank robbers choose banks as targets, the success of six Detroit banks in deterring robberies through the installation of bullet-resistant barriers, characteristics of U.S. bank robbers, and the need for further preventive measures. In focusing on bank robberies in the U.K., the article discusses the steep rise in robberies following World War II, police countermeasures, and the eventual adoption of bank security devices such as anti-bandit screens, direct alarm systems connected with police stations, and vaults with time locks. The article advocates improving security in both U.S. and U.K. banks in order to protect employees and to discourage further robberies.