Politics & Government

Mentor Councilman Says Banks Need to Do More to Protect Their Money

After four bank robberies this year in Mentor, City Councilman Ray Kirchner said banks need to do more to deter robbers

Four banks have been robbed this year in Mentor: , , and .

Last year, none were robbed.

Mentor is not alone in this trend. Fifty-five bank robberies have happened in the region in 2011, Mentor City Councilman Ray Kirchner said.

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In each of the bank robberies, the . Instead, , claiming and .

Bank tellers complied with the robbers' demands, as they are instructed to do. Then the responsibility fell to the Mentor Police Department and FBI to find the robbers.

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, Kirchner said that banks need to do more to protect their money during the City Council meeting Tuesday.

"I think their policy is basically doing nothing from what I can see," he said.

He said that banks could use better technology or hire security guards to deter thefts.

"It taxes the resources of local police and the FBI, as well," he said.

"Once (bank robbers) get out of the building, it's on us," he said. "You don't know if there's going to be a high-speed chase or citizens put in danger."

Lt. Ken Gunsch, head of Mentor Police's detective bureau, said increased bank security would probably stop some bank robberies before they start.

"Any type of increased securit should deter some, but it probably wouldn't stop them all," he said.

He added that the quality of security varies from bank system to bank system. However, the better the bank's security system, the easier it is to investigate a robbery, he said.

When asked what steps banks take to protect their money and employees, Barb Austin, the senior vice president of First National Bank, said, "The Bank Protection Act requires that every bank have a security program in place, and First National Bank prioritizes compliance with this act by taking measures for the security of our employees and customers. First National Bank, similar to other banks, utilizes alarms, vaults, surveillance equipment and a series of internal procedures to deter robbery."


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