Ask the Expert

By Bill Savage · April 2007

This month's expert focuses on financial institutions and the threats that plague them

THE numbers are beginning to roll in. During 2006, bank robberies were up 13 percent in the states of Wisconsin and in Cleveland, 18 percent in Chicago and a whopping 126 percent in Fairfax County, Va. According to the FBI, the average bank robber got away with more than $4,000 during 2005—the most recent year for which full statistics are available.

Nationwide statistics for last year are still being analyzed, but despite the increase in robberies, banks are making real efforts to stop what can become a very deadly situation. And they are turning to electronic security—video surveillance and access control—to help.

ISSUE: What are the differences in using analog and digital surveillance systems in financial applications?

SOLUTION: Most banks either have or are in the process of switching from analog to digital video surveillance systems. Megapixel digital video cameras can provide live video and still-frame shots that can provide an equal or better image from 35-millimeter still cameras. However, like any emerging technology, the cameras are expensive, and implementing these sophisticated cameras is a budget issue for each bank.

The more frequently deployed systems use lower-resolution cameras that can still produce reasonable quality images to help law enforcement identify suspects in the event of a bank robbery or other incident.

Most banks have already made the migration to digital video recording as opposed to using analog VCRs. Quality DVRs provide better high-resolution video for forensic purposes, and DVRs also can serve as a great operational tool. For example, if a customer were to challenge an ATM transaction, many integrated DVR systems will allow a bank official to locate that event almost immediately—perhaps to show that a relative had used the ATM card without the owner’s knowledge. Using an analog system, that same search would be very time consuming and the high cost might not be justified.

When a teller activates a panic button, foot switch or bill trap (used to create an alarm from the cash drawer), the value of a digital system combined with networking technology really shines. Alarms may be monitored at a corporate command center, where security professionals can determine what actions should be taken and help law enforcement with up-to-the-second reports on events in the branch office. PTZ cameras mounted to watch the parking lot can give additional information on a suspect—such as the make or model of the getaway car and in which direction the thief headed.



ISSUE: Banks constantly have people coming in and out. What role does access control play in this application?

SOLUTION: Access control can play an important role in responding to security challenges in banking. Sally ports are security tools banks can use. These portals have a small, controlled space between two lockable doors at the bank entry and exit. Following an incident, as a suspect prepares to leave, a teller hits a switch that immediately locks the exterior door, but allows the suspect to enter the first (interior) door, which immediately closes and locks behind him. The enclosure, made of bullet-proof glass, traps the suspect until law enforcement personnel arrive to remove and apprehend the person.

Sally ports are a proven technology, with a concept going back hundreds of years to castles and forts. However, it is a very expensive solution due to the high costs of materials and construction. Fire and life safety considerations also influence the implementation of such controls.

Bullet-proof glass also can help reduce bank robberies by placing tellers behind a virtually impenetrable barrier. There is a danger, however, that some robbers may turn their attention to the customers—taking valuables or even hostages to force compliance with their demands. Some bank officials also balk at teller barriers for environmental reasons, preferring to keep their branches more open and customer friendly.

More banks are choosing to protect their outdoor ATMs by placing them in enclosed vestibules with a card reader that requires an ATM card for entry. This allows the customer to use the ATM with less fear of someone sneaking up on him or her from behind.

As with any major security project, it makes sense to work with a systems integrator with experience dealing with the protection of banks and other financial institutions.

READER QUESTION: I manage a two-acre warehouse site, where our company also keeps valuable equipment outdoors. We have a 10-foot, chain-link fence topped with razor wire surrounding the site. Yet there were two successful break-ins in the past six months. How can I improve my perimeter security without spending a lot of money?

SOLUTION: Outdoor environments are always challenging, with weather and other external influences always at play. Depending on the size and shape of your facility technologies—such as perimeter fence protection systems (fiber optics and taut wire) that are surface-applied—perimeter-pulsed infrared or other beam technologies, or exterior motion detection, might be suitable. Several manufacturers are packaging self-contained systems that include detection technology, solar power and wireless transmission in a single enclosure, eliminating power, wiring and conduit that can add to installation cost. Also consider the use of video surveillance technology, with video motion detection and off-site monitoring of your facility. Video has the added benefit of not only detecting activity, but also verifying the nature of the activity prior to response. Plus, there’s a record of the activity for investigation and prosecution purposes. Also plan on a few false alarms caused by environmental conditions. No matter what technology you select, make sure your security integrator takes into account the type and nature of your operations, the physical integrity of your fencing and the placement of assets within the secure area.

Founded in 1993, SecurityNet is a network of 22 independent system integrators offering clients a single source for meeting all electronic security needs. For more information, visit www.security-net.com.

U.S. Members:
ABC Security Corp.
Acree Daily Integrated Systems Group
Alpha Corp.
Cam-Dex Security Corp.
D/A Central Inc.
Firstline Security Systems
Frisco Bay
InterTECH Security
Koorsen Fire & Security
MAC Systems
Operational Security Systems
PEI Systems
RFI Communications & Security Systems
Security Control Systems
SFI Electronics
The Protection Bureau
VTI Security Integrators

International Members:
Acces' Control e Sistemas
Evolve Corporate Security
Nova Integrated Systems
Servicom
Yonei & Company

About the author

Bill Savage
Bill Savage is a founder and past president of SecurityNet. For the past 24 years, he also has served as president of Security Control Systems Inc.


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