Bullet Proof Security Systems, News, Information | Demand TSS

Brian Patrick Marlin, charged with attemped robbery.

 “PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG!” is what the thief abruptly told the bank teller through the bullet resistant barrier separating him and her. The teller (while behind the bullet resistant enclosure) noticed that the crook had no weapon on him at all, making the decision to tell the crook that ““We don’t do that here” and turn him away a lot easier on her and her co-workers.

The man, Brian Patrick Marlin, left the bank in anger with no money and no chance of being a free man after this stunt. The police found him later that day just a couple blocks away from the attempted heist, he was charged with attempted bank robbery.

Read: Portland bank employees, confronted by robber, just say no by Bryan Denson clicking by on the title.

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.

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.

The battle in New York between the Police Department and bank officials, particulary TD Bank, continues to go on as a bill that would mandate bulletproof barriers sits before the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety. While “banks without barriers represented only 10 percent of the city’s banks, 53 percent of the bank robberies last year occurred in those branches.”

Read “Battle Over Bandit Barriers“  by Michael Wilson, nytimes.com/

There has been much controversy in New York lately over a bill that would mandate all banks to install bandit barriers. TD Bank has been the major opposition to the bill as they seek to create a more welcoming environment without bullet resistant glass separating tellers and customers.

A recent article on nytimes.com stated, “Relaxed bank security — often driven by an attempt to create a friendly atmosphere, without barriers between tellers and customers — can attract robbers.” Connecticut can attest to this statement as it has been the target of a series of bank robberies in which the robbers casually entered a bank and handed over a note demanding money to the teller.

The article also comments on a trend toward robberies in the suburbs as opposed to the major cities stating, “Many [. . .] officials point to the casual, open layout of many suburban banks — like the TD Bank branch in Westport — as a possible factor in the trend.”

Read “In Suburbs, Bank Robbers Like the Layout” by Michael Wilson, nytimes.com.

An attempted robbery in Philadelphia was foiled on Friday when a bank teller “triggered a trap” which locked the man “into a vestibule made of bulletproof glass. Police say he fired his .357 Magnum trying to get out,” but eventually gave up when they arrived.

Read “Alleged Robber Trapped in Bank Doors,” myfoxphilly.com

Image taken from myfoxphilly.com.

When a bank or credit union decides to install bullet proof barriers in its facility, they have many different options to choose from. The most common barrier system installed in major retail banks is the Arch Window System. Other barrier systems include Baffle Window, Secure Sound, and Speak Hole and Backer. All four types of bullet resistant barriers provide financial institutions, convenience stores, and government facilities UL Level 1-3 security without obstructing staff/customer interaction. All barriers can also be customized to include cash trays, both counter-mount or recessed.

The oldest bulletproof barrier is the Baffle Window System. Dating back nearly forty years, this system provides unobstructed views through the use of staggered pieces of bullet-resistant glass and also offers natural voice transmission. The Arch Window System was designed approximately 15 years ago to update the Baffle Window concept and improve voice communication.  The Secure Sound System wasn’t developed until four or five years ago and enhances voice communication even further.

Ultimately, a bank or credit union’s bullet resistant barrier selection is based on personal preference. Each barrier system offers a slightly different architectural appeal enabling financial institutions to customize their facility.

A man in Northwest Arkansas, Timothy Barnes, was arrested after two bank robbery attempts. During his first robbery attempt, he “discovered the tellers were behind bullet proof glass, a bank security measure that prevented Barnes from getting anything from tellers during the Friday heist.”

Read “Rogers Man Admits to Robberies” by John Henley Jr., NWAOnline.net.

After a 26% spike in first quarter bank robberies following a 57% increase in 2008, the New York City Council proposed a mandate that would require all bank branches to install bulletproof glass barriers. This morning, the Council’s Public Safety Committee held a hearing for bank industry officials to express their concerns over the “bandit barrier” legislation.

“Bulletproof fortifications around tellers in banks — known as “bandit barriers” [. . .] — have pitted banks and the police against each other in a policy argument over safety, expense and businesses’ rights to manage their own security.”

Read “Banks and Police Clash Over Proposal for Bulletproof Barriers” by Dominick Tao, The New York Times.