Bullet Proof Security Systems, News, Information | Demand TSS

Recently released FBI crime statistics support the notion that in a struggling economy, the number of bank robberies increases. Chris Mackey, operations manager at Kriebel Security Inc. stated, “We’re [ . .  ] seeing increased interest in active security systems that can actually block or trap a robber, as opposed to passive ones, like cameras, that just record the activity.” One of the most popular security options available is known as the “mantrap,” a bullet-resistant glass enclosed vestibule in which customers must pass through a metal detector. If the metal detector is tripped, “a teller can hit a panic button that locks the inside door, preventing the robber from entering the bank. The teller or other official can also lock the street door, too, essentially trapping the robber in the vestibule until law enforcement authorities arrive.”

Read “In down times, bank robbers sticking up” by Martin C. Daks, www.njbiz.com.

While we sometimes flip flop between our use of the words “bulletproof” and “bullet-resistant,” the industry term is bullet resistant glass because it would be difficult to create a piece of glass the thickness needed to make it truly bulletproof while still maintaining visibility and communication.

There are two types of bullet resistant glass – solid acrylic and laminated polycarbonate. Solid acrylic is just as its name suggests – a solid sheet of acrylic either 1-1/4” or 1-3/8” thick depending on the level of protection required. Laminated polycarbonate is made by layering polycarbonate, a heavy-duty clear plastic, between two sheets of glass and laminating it all together. It can be ¾”, 1” or 1-1/4” thick depending on the level of protection. While a bullet will pierce the exterior glass layer of laminated polycarbonate, the inner layers absorb the bullet’s energy stopping it from penetrating through the entire piece of glass.

The newest form of bullet resistant glass is one-way bulletproof glass, commonly used in armored vehicles. One-way bulletproof glass is composed of two layers. The outside layer – on the threat side – is made of a brittle glass and the inside layer is a flexible polycarbonate. A bullet that strikes the brittle external layer first causes the glass to break inward toward the polycarbonate layer. The glass breaking absorbs some of the bullet’s energy by spreading the force over a larger area and the flexible polycarbonate stops the bullet.

Bullets shot from the inside of an armored car are able to penetrate the bullet resistant glass because they strike the polycarbonate layer first with more focused energy. The brittle glass layer then breaks outward allowing the bullet to pass through with minor energy loss.

Friday marked the fourth bank robbery in Tuscaloosa, Alabama this year. While that may not sound like a significant number in comparison to other cities, such as New York, Tuscaloosa saw only two robberies last year and none in both 2007 and 2006. Of the four robberies, three are believed to have been committed by the same man. While police officials are still searching for the individuals who have committed these bank robberies, it has been their experience that, “True serial bank robbers are few and far between.” Most are just robbing to support a drug or gambling habit.

As part of the FBI’s bank robbery analysis for the first six months of 2009, it was discovered that “Most of the robberies happened on Fridays. Mornings were the most common time on all days, with most robberies happening between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.”

Read “Friday was fourth bank robbery of 2009” by Stephanie Taylor, www.tuscaloosanews.com.

Image taken from www.tuscaloosanews.com.

FBI bank crime statistics are available through June 30, 2009. In a quick analysis of of the first two quarters in 2009 compared to 2008, there has been an eight percent decrease overall in the number of robberies, burglaries or larcenies at commercial banks, mutual savings banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions. In addition to the decrease in robberies, the percentage of banks with bullet resistant barriers that were targeted decreased nearly 30%. The southern region, however, continues to have the highest number of bank robberies, with Texas followed by Florida, being hit the worst.

View the complete 2009 FBI bank crime statistics for first quarter or second quarter.