Delegates attending the ARC Training Special Risks Course in Prague during the period 13-14 November 2008 studied a range of complex security problems, including Managing the Risk of Terrorism, Anti-Illicit Trade Management, Malicious Product Tampering Response, Protecting People at Risk, Kidnap Risk Mitigation, and Armed Hold-Up.
Delegates learned that measures to reduce the risk of armed hold-up include:
General
1. Robbery is theft with the use of violence. The violence may be actual or threatened.
2. Some robberies take place without weapons. This is when injuries often occur to have-a-go-hero staff.
3. In most cases, the victims do not know the robbers prior to attack.
4. In many cases robbers score on stimulant-type drugs or alcohol before an attack. They will be nervous and scared. Under such circumstances they will probably behave with extreme violence, irrationally and the risk of a firearm going off is high.
Workplace Robbery Risk Mitigation
1. Keep the premises tidy and use mirrors for greater vigilance.
2. Don’t always assume that it will be company property that a robber will seek. He may be after cellphones and wallets of lone workers.
3. Ensure that back rooms are out of view.
4. Secure external exits to back rooms at all times (consistent with fire regulations), as this is an obvious surreptitious route of entry.
5. It is useful to keep a radio on in back rooms, to give the impression of others on site.
6. Greet all persons entering a retail facility. This may put off a robber.
7. Look for loiterers outside and inside. If inside, approach and offer assistance. If the situation looks dangerous, alert security.
8. Employees should be trained in armed robbery survival personal safety. Such seminars focus on psychologically surviving a life threatening scenario and provide advice on body language, hand positioning and movement, how to safely communicate with a robber etc. Delaying tactics should never be used as this may anger the robber and endanger life.
9. Armed robberies are usually over in less than 1 minute. Even robberies of banks usually take less than 2 minutes.
10. Instruct staff never to discuss security arrangements with friends or relatives.
11. Vet staff carefully. Robbers often collude with insiders. Sometimes this is through intimidation and threats.
12. Keep a minimum of working cash on site, especially at night when most robberies occur.
13. Use drop safes for larger bills.
14. Use specialist CVIT service to take accumulations of cash off site.
15, Post signs on doors making it clear that staff cannot open safes (time locks), that cash is regularly removed etc.
16. Note that very vulnerable times are at opening and closing. Try to have a second person present at these times.
17. Staff should not “cash up” in full view at the end of the shift. This could tempt a robbery.
18. Cash should be counted in a secure location.
19. Record the serial numbers of a few bills as it may later help police track down robbers.
20. Ensure site is equipped with CCTV that is capable of producing a good quality off-site recording of 120% of any attacker for identification and evidential purposes. But note that robbers are often not deterred by CCTV; their concern is not getting shot or caught at the time of the robbery.
21. Staff should be aware that their own personal safety and that of anybody else on the premises far outweighs any concern for the security of cash. Thus, they should cooperate with armed robbers and offer no resistance.
22. Note should be taken of any persons loitering suspiciously outside the facility. While this may not indicate an immediate threat, it may be useful in a post-robbery investigation.
23. There should be a means of escape from behind the counter without having to pass the robber. If this leads to a back exit door this should be secured from the inside and alarmed at all times.
24. Consider installing a personal attack button (PAB), but ensure the activation of this does not put employees or customers at risk. The alarm should not sound locally but monitored by a competent response authority. PABs should not be under-the-counter hand-operated as the robber will be alert to this. Consult CAS for advice.
25. Ensure that the pubic area of the facility is clearly visible from passers by, in order to deter the robber. Windows cluttered with posters and remote cash tills add to the robbers’ advantage.
26. Use doorbells.
27. At high risk facilities, consider “airlock “ doors, and bullet resistant glass between public and cash handlers.
Workplace Robbery In Progress Risk Mitigation
1. Staff must obey the instructions of the robbers without hesitation. When moving hands, especially if out of sight (below counter, in pocket etc), staff should always seek the permission of the robbers.
2. Customers should be instructed to obey the instructions of the robbers. Staff should be on the lookout for “heroes”.
3. Staff may experience the symptoms of nervous shock, such as pain in the legs and arms, trembling, difficulty of vision, sweating, dryness of mouth, weak and shaking knees etc. They should be made aware of this reaction beforehand and try to control the symptoms by deep breathing.
4. Firearms should always be assumed to be real and loaded.
5. Staff should alert robbers to any possible surprises, such as an employee in the back room.
6. Staff should be trained to take mental notes about the robber. (Age, physique, gait, hair, complexion, accent, clothes (especially footwear), hands, tattoos, weapons, nicknames. It is useful to work from head to foot taking mental “snapshots”.
7. Once the robbery has begun, the objective should not be to thwart the robber’s objectives, but to get him out of the facility as quickly as possible.
8. Staff should be instructed to speak only when spoken to.
9. If the robber’s demands cannot be met, staff should be able to offer an alternative.
10. The only occasion that warrants possible resistance is when robbers attempt to leave the premises with a hostage.
Post Workplace Robbery Actions
1. The premises should be locked as quickly as possible and the police called.
2. Customers should be requested to remain on site until arrival of the police. If they refuse, names and addresses should be taken.
3. Staff should write down immediately all they can remember about the attackers, including details of vehicle, and direction of travel.
4. Staff should keep all details of what has been stolen for the investigating officers, not the first responder police, who may talk to the media.
5. Staff should not disturb any physical evidence.
6. Staff will require special counselling to combat the later onset of post-traumatic stress disorder.
