What are some of the strategies that have been developed in order to deter bank robberies?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The number of bank robberies has increased with the number of branch banks, many of which are housed in storefront offices and outlying shopping centers, thus providing quick entrance to and exit from the robbery scene. Most banks have surveillance cameras that might catch a robbery on tape. However, the video quality is often substandard and can be rendered useless by improper placement of equipment. Adding clerks is not necessarily a deterrent because a person with a gun has the advantage regardless of the number of clerks. Adding bulletproof glass around the cashier may increase the incidence of hostage taking. This problem has been reduced in some banks by enclosing and securing the bank's administrative areas. Other deterrents to bank robberies involve the use of bait money and dye packs, required by federal banking regulations for federally insured financial institutions. Bait money is U.S. currency with recorded serial numbers placed at each teller position. A dye pack is a bundle of currency containing a colored dye and tear gas. Taken during a robbery, it is activated when the robber crosses an electromagnetic field at the facility's exit, releasing the brightly colored dye that stains the money and emits a cloud of colored smoke.