They Stole an Entire ATM that had No Cash
On Thursday, we told you about the daring ATM theft at U Mall in Ladyville. The perpetrators ripped the Heritage Bank ATM from building with the help of a van. The incident was captured on camera and tonight investigators are looking for the man who rented the van. Police Commissioner Chester Williams says that the culprits are targeting Heritage Bank ATMs. He says that banks and businesses should work together to prevent a recurrence.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Well, certainly there seem to be some similarity with what happens on Farber’s Road, and what happens in Ladyville. It’s a matter we’re looking at. We were looking for an individual who has been identified as the person who rented the van that was used in the Fabers road incident. We have not been able to find that person. I’ve told CIB to do a wanted poster and we’re going to issue that today for that individual. Then we see how we go from there. But as I’ve said on the show this morning, that there needs to be more done by the bank and the business establishments that do have these ATM machines. You would know that the ATM is not something that closes or that locks after a particular hour. It remains accessible 24 hours. And so, so long as you have a card for the bank that houses the ATM you can access the ATM and do what you want in there. So what I am suggesting is that the bank that owns the ATM and the establishment that houses the ATM needs to come together and put additional security, perhaps in the form of an armed guard, or they can put some alarm system on the ATM that in the event that the ATM is removed, the alarm goes off. And by the alarm going off, it will alert the public and the thieves would be placed in a state of fear and may run, leaving the ATM because once the alarm goes off they know it’s going to attract people to come around and may see them. So something needs to be done to put some additional security features are these establishments that do houses these ATM?”
Hipolito Novelo
“Is it that they were specifically targeting Heritage bank?”
Chester Williams
“Well, it would seem that way because all the ATMs that have gone missing belong to Heritage Bank.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The one at the U Mall, that had any cash in it?”
Chester Williams
“From what we have been trying to understand, it was empty.”
