Missouri State Highway Patrol

Public Information and Education Division

The Sensible ApproachReacting to Bank Holdups & Hostage Extortion Attempts

Introduction

Fear is a natural reaction anytime you are threatened, especially with a weapon. In the situation of a bank robbery, however, your best chances of survival come by remaining calm and collected. Your number one priority should be to get the bank robber out of the bank as quickly as possible without provoking him to violence against yourself, your coworkers, or your customers. The most heroic thing you can do during a bank robbery is to remain calm, cooperate fully with the bank robber, and then provide law enforcement investigators enough solid information to capture and convict the criminal. Preparation is the key to surviving a bank robbery.

Be Prepared: The Vault

  1. Install a concealed phone in the vault and a warning system activated when the line is cut or the phone is disconnected.
  2. Install vault lights on a separate fuse box. Equip the vault with flashlights and keep the batteries charged.
  3. Conceal a knife near the floor for easy access if employees are tied.
  4. Stock first aid supplies in the vault. Keep in mind employees who work regularly who may require special medications, such as nitroglycerine tablets or insulin.
  5. Ask your vault maintenance man if your vault can be opened from the inside. Many can be opened with a screwdriver.

Be Prepared: Main Bank Room

  1. If there are adjoining rooms, install a one-way mirror allowing employees in the other room to see into the main room without being observed. Not only can they report a robbery in progress without endangering coworkers or customers, they are more likely not to walk into a robbery in progress placing themselves and others in danger if the robber becomes nervous.
  2. Install railings and counters that are high enough to make it difficult for the robber to enter the employees’ area.
  3. Keep windows clear so that bystanders outside can see into the bank and may see a robbery in progress, and so employees can see which direction the robbers go when they leave.
  4. Place stationary marks of a known height within the bank in several places, such as at the entrance, the tellers’ workstations, etc. This way when a robber leaves, employees can notice and better estimate the height of the robber.
  5. A small amount of “bait money” or money carrying a “dye pack” should be placed in each teller’s cash drawer. Employees should be instructed to give this money to the robber for possible further identification.

Your Employees

  1. All employees should be made aware of safety measures should a robbery occur. Make sure they know how and when to sound the alarm.
  2. If a silent alarm does go off, the police may call. Have a code word established to notify the police of the robbery without tipping off the robbers.
  3. Employees should be trained to stay calm and observe as many specific details as possible about the robbers.
  4. Have employees be alert for suspicious persons loitering in or near the facility and report all such persons to security or the bank officer in charge.
  5. Never discuss cash shipments, bank security procedures, etc. with outsiders. You can never tell who may overhear your conversation. The first employee to arrive in the morning to open the bank should take extra precautions, including driving around the building looking for evidence of tampering such as broken glass or a door pried open. Upon entering the bank, they should survey the building to make sure all is well and then give the predetermined “all clear” signal for other employees. Each employee should note the “all clear” signal before entering the bank. If they do not see it, they should call the police immediately.

During the Holdup

  1. Remain calm and cooperate fully with the commands given by the robber. Most bank robberies last from one and one-half to three minutes. Most robbers, especially amateurs, will be as nervous, if not more so, than you. Your goal should be to get the robber out of the bank as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of yourself, your coworkers, and your customers.
  2. Always assume the robber has a weapon. Take his demands and his threats seriously.
  3. Give the robber the minimum amount of cash necessary and no more than he/she demands. NEVER volunteer information concerning cash the robber may have overlooked. Include the bait money in the money you give to the robber.
  4. If the robber presents a note, move it out of his reach. In the excitement he may forget about it, and it will become an important piece of evidence.
  5. Activate surveillance cameras or the silent alarm when it is safe to do so. Do not place yourself or others in danger by making any sudden or unexpected motions. If the alarm is not silent, wait until the robber has left the building, lock all the doors, and then activate the alarm.
  6. Be observant. Remember as much as you can about:
    • The exact sequence of events.
    • The robber: age, sex, race, height, build, scars or marks, mustache (or lack of one), hair length and color, style and color of clothes, footwear, if he is wearing gloves or eyeglasses, and any peculiarities in manner or voice.
    • Anything the robber may have touched (for fingerprints).
    • The weapon if one is displayed. Is it a handgun, shotgun, knife, bomb, etc. If a handgun, was it a revolver or automatic, etc.
  7. Also, observe events occurring outside the bank. Note cars parked outside, townspeople who may have witnessed all or part of the holdup, and how the robber made their escape and in what direction.

After the Holdup

  1. Contact law enforcement authorities immediately. The sooner police are notified and can begin their investigation, the more likely the robbers are to be apprehended. Tell the officer who you are, where you are, and that the bank has been robbed. Do not hang up until the officer tells you to do so.
  2. Lock all the doors until investigators arrive so the robber does not change his mind and return for hostages. Post notification that the bank is closed due to an emergency sending potential customers to the closest branch office. Keep the customers who were in the establishment during the robbery inside the bank.
  3. Do not handle any object that might have been touched by the robbers.
  4. Without conferring with other employees or customers, have everyone in the bank at the time of the robbery make notes about the circumstances of the robbery.
  5. Designate a bank spokesperson to direct all media inquiries to law enforcement. Any information pertaining to the robbery should come from law enforcement ONLY. It is important NOT to release the amount of money taken, bank security procedures, or the names of employees or patrons in the bank at the time of the robbery.
  6. Notify all bank officials. If the bank is a member of the FDIC, notify the nearest FBI office of the crime.

Hostage Extortion Attempts

Criminals desperate for easy money may target bank officials or their family members in order to extort money from the bank. These situations can be dangerous, but with proper preparation, you can handle them calmly and efficiently, if not prevent them.

Safety at Home

  1. Install sonar motion detectors or burglar and fire alarms on doors and windows.
  2. Install an extra key lock and chain locks on outside doors (locking bars on glass patio doors). Equip each outside door containing glass with a deadlock. Install viewers in solid outside doors.
  3. Teach your children not to admit strangers into the home and to refrain from giving out information about family members to strangers.
  4. Keep all doors locked, especially at night.
  5. Install anti-tamper devices on all family cars.
  6. Instruct delivery personnel to leave items outside the door.

Preparation at the Bank

  1. On a distinctively colored card, list the phone numbers of affected police agencies and the following information about each bank official:
    • All persons residing in the immediate household.
    • Residence address and phone number.
    • Color, year, make, and license of all motor vehicles owned by the family. Indicate the one generally used to drive to and from the bank.
    • Names, addresses, and phone numbers of neighbors who will assist you in a hostage/extortion situation. These neighbors can check the banker’s home to verify the situation.
    Place a copy of this card under each bank official’s phone. Upon receipt of a hostage/extortion call, circle the name of the person(s) being held hostage, then wave the card as a signal to other employees and consult the card for the correct steps to take.
  2. Prepare a package or satchel of money specifically for an extortionist; include bait money. Photocopy the bills.
  3. Vary your daily route to and from work. Don’t arrive at the bank at the same time every day. Don’t park in the same spot every day. Don’t unlock the safe the same time every day.
  4. Always advise a business associate or family member of your destination when leaving the office or home and what time you intend to return.
  5. Report any suspicious people, vehicles, and situations promptly to the police.

When the Call Comes

  1. Signal other employees with the information card.
  2. Call the law enforcement officials on another line.
  3. Delay the caller as long as possible by asking questions such as:
    • Who is calling?
    • Is this a prank?
    • How do I know it isn’t?
    • May I talk to (subject taken hostage) so I can be sure?
    • What do you want? We don’t have that much cash!
    • How do you want the money?
    • How should I package it?
    • Where should it be delivered?
    • How will I recognize the person picking up the money?
    • Exactly where and when should the money be delivered?
    • How will I know (subject taken hostage) is all right?
  4. To be sure the extortion comes under federal jurisdiction, the banker should use bank money: When the caller demands money, the banker should reply, “I don’t have that much,” hoping the caller will say, “Get the bank’s money.”
  5. After the caller hangs up, write down the time and exact words of the threat, the caller’s sex, and any background noise overheard or any other pertinent information.
  6. Verify the validity of the threat by attempting to locate the alleged hostage.
  7. Above all, remain as calm as possible. The extortionist’s principal aim is to make you panic, so you will not think clearly.

ATMs: Quick Cash Leads to Easy Targets

For many bank patrons, a trip to the automatic teller machine (ATM) has become a routine convenience. As responsible bank employees, however, you need to make your customers aware of the dangers of being robbed while getting quick cash. Here are some safety tips for you to share:

  1. Memorize your personal identification number (PIN), and do not give your PIN or card to anyone else, even relatives and friends. Never write the PIN on the card, and never carry the PIN with you.
  2. Fill out all forms such as deposit slips ahead of time.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night.
  4. Always try to take care of your banking business during daylight hours. Consider having someone accompany you to the ATM at night.
  5. Park near the ATM in a well lighted area. Check the surrounding area before you leave the safety of your car.
  6. If you notice anything suspicious, consider using another ATM or coming back later.
  7. If followed after making a transaction, go directly to the nearest public area where people are located.
  8. Immediately report all crimes to the police.

Standard Description of Person

The following information aids in forming a physical description of criminal suspects. A detachable information sheet is provided in the print version for immediate use following a holdup.

Important Descriptors to Note

Facial Features to Note

Vehicle Description

Look at top first, then move down. Observe:

Form to Record Information

If there is more than one witness to the holdup, it is important that each witness complete an information sheet independently from the others. This allows officers to correlate information and arrive at better descriptions. When the information sheets are compared, officers can determine a range of descriptive factors and determine those which are most likely correct.

Description of Persons: The enclosed form allows for the description of three persons. If there are more than three, use another sheet of paper. In each box numbered 1, 2, and 3, make a note which will indicate which person is being described. These notes allow officers to determine which persons are the same in each witness’ description. The note is needed only to identify which of the holdup persons is being described, such as: “one who stood near door,” or “one who collected money,” or “one who held gun,” etc.

Safety Programs

This brochure provides only a small portion of the information available on personal safety. Patrol members regularly present programs on personal safety to civic groups, clubs, etc. If your group would like such a program, please contact the public information and education officer at the troop headquarters nearest you or the Public Information and Education Division at (573) 526-6115.

Contact Information

Missouri State Highway Patrol
1510 East Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0568
(573) 751-3313

Meth Hotline: 1-888-823-METH (6384)

Emergency Assistance: 1-800-525-5555 or cellular *55

Road Conditions: 1-888-275-6636