Security officers maintaining a high-profile presence are a key element of a bank robbery deterrence program instituted by Canada’s leading financial services firms. Scotiabank, one of Canada’s largest banks, chose Securitas in 2002 to provide guard services as part of an overall plan that also encompasses alarm response and mobile patrol checks at its 950 branches.
“We rely on Securitas to select the best officers for their posts and train them to be observant while also being attentive to our customers,” says Gerry Hanlon, Manager of Protective Services for Scotiabank.
Securitas’ bank officers – unarmed, as are all security officers in Canada – receive extra training on the skills needed for their role, such as how to maintain a high visibility presence, use their powers of observation, and make eye contact with everyone who enters the bank.
The aim is to create a balance between customer service and visible security. As Dave Blashuk, who manages Securitas’ Financial Services Division in Canada’s 10 provinces, points out, it is important for the officers to interact with customers so they can “see and be seen,” while projecting a friendly image for the bank.
“Officers are taught to carefully observe potential risks and also lend a helping hand when needed,” he says. “If a woman comes in with a baby carriage, they will hold the door open. But they will also politely ask someone wearing gear that could be useful in a hold-up to remove it,” he says. “If the customer does not, the officer will observe the individual closely the entire time he is in the bank.”
In Toronto, hold-ups have dropped by almost 75 percent over the past seven years since banks began strengthening their security. Brian McCready, a Toronto Police Service Detective Sergeant with 20 years of experience on the force’s hold-up squad, says that such high-visibility tactics definitely work as a deterrent. In developing robbery deterrence programs, he and other police authorities interviewed convicted bank robbers to ask what criteria they use to choose a target, and their input helped shape the program.
“Most people who rob banks don’t want to have any complications,” says McCready. “If there’s anything in the way, such as a security officer standing at the door, they will go elsewhere.”
After a robbery
If a robbery does occur, the security officer’s role is to assist law enforcement through professional observation of the crime in progress, preservation of evidence and credible testimony at or before trial. Using keen observation skills honed through training, the officer provides an accurate description of the perpetrators’ physical characteristics, the sequence of events, and other information that may lead to capture, such as a license plate number or the direction in which a get-away car traveled. The officer also assists bank personnel by safe-guarding evidence until police arrive, and coordinates any emergency care that may be needed for customers or employees.
Often, the officer's descriptions will help the police round up the suspected thief, question him effectively, and secure an admission of guilt. Recognizing the contributions of private security firms in solving crimes, McCready says, “Securitas guards are excellent witnesses who provide actionable information that often leads directly to a capture and a guilty plea. Tellers are understandably traumatized and usually provide descriptions that are not as good for police purposes.”
In addition to deterring criminals, the presence of a security officer provides comfort to customers and employees. “My tellers know John (Leeper) and are happy he is here,” says Bonnie Hill, Customer Service Manager of Scotiabank’s flagship branch in downtown Toronto. “He has told them he is always watching, and they just need to look at him when they are with a customer and he will come over to check on them. That’s a good feeling.”