Home Invasion & Kidnapping: Banks Need To Wake Up

There have been at least two incidents in the last two weeks where a bank executive or middle management employee has been kidnapped, held hostage along with their family and forced to rob the bank they worked for as part of a bank robbery plot. It is happening far more than what is being reported and Bank of America is on the top of the target list due to the number of branches they have in every nook and cranny of the market. But what have they done to update their policies and procedures to better protect and inform their most valuable asset -- their staff?

The FBI is reporting a spike in the number of bank robberies across the country with $15 million in losses last quarter alone. This is not unusual during economically challenging times. Add the holiday season to the mix, which is typically the time of year the highest number of bank robberies occur, and you have a bank robbery in progress approximately every 20 minutes in our country, leaving traumatized employees behind.

I am a former 13-year banking industry executive who survived a home invasion, kidnapping, hostage and bank robbery that is the focus of my book, Held Hostage: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Kidnapping, and will be released as a Lifetime movie in May (we begin filming for CBS' 48 Hours this month). I have been an expert on the topic of bank employee protection and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder education and awareness for the past several years. I know all about bank robbery training, what it entails and what it lacks in today's financial institution environment.

When a recent email came through via a kidnapping/hostage bank robbery survivor stating she was never made aware of these types of robberies, training only including a half hour video and no mention of PTSD, I was frankly pissed off that in the eight years since the brutal crime against my daughter and me (although the bank is actually considered the victim when it comes to bank robberies) there has been little to no change in the training procedures and types of robberies employees are being prepared for or protected against.

Is the FDIC asleep? Is the Bank Security Act of 1968 being ignored -- and are banks not being held accountable for training and procedural updates that include today's more sophisticated bank robberies, AKA home invasion/kidnappings? Why is there no training for families and no PTSD information in the new employee orientation packets? Is sweeping this type of bank robbery under the carpet really the best way to handle it? Is a class action lawsuit by all the survivors of these types of bank robberies the only way to get them to take positive action when it comes to updating training policies, procedures and reporting? What happened to deterring robbers? How about a home security alarm system or at least a 50% off coupon for all managers and operations officers upon hiring?

Financial institutions have made little improvements in their robbery training procedures over the past 10 years. Stay calm, give the dye pack or hit the silent alarm button when it is safe, get a good description, cover the area for any potential prints... those are the nuts and bolts of any bank robbery training. However, what is missing is the post trauma element that will inform and educate employees about the emotional toll these types of incidents most likely will have on them and the crimes impacting entire families; hostage/kidnapping for ransom schemes that robbers believe will garnish them more loot.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, if left untreated, many times develops into or masks as depression, causes panic or anxiety, sleep disturbance that leave employees unable to concentrate and more. It is real. It is scary. It is treatable. But first employers in this heavily crime-targeted industry have to wake up and smell the damage hitting their front line employees and their families in the face every day and take positive action to better protect and educate them.

To learn more about Michelle Renee visit her website at www.Michelle-Renee.com.

Comments

[Hulie]

I am an employee of a bank that is about to become the largest on the US and in June was a victim of a violent bank robbery that also involved my daughter who the robber attempted to kidnap. My position made me responsible for making sure that all team members took their annual robbery training and made me the point of contact if a robbery occured. After being through the robbery I can testify that 1. My bank did nothing to prepare us for a robbery that involved a family member 2. No one was trained to remove me from my leadership position the day of the robbery, therefore forcing me to take care of personal and professional at the same time 3. Banks do nothing to inform employees about PTSD in training. Although after the robbery I was told that PTSD could happen now that I am suffering from it six months later the bank is refusing to cover my treatment under Texas Injury Benefit Plan making me cover the treatment myself under my medical plan. I want to make sure that banks are held more accountable. I am not sure how to do this and am seeking assistance. Bank robberies are a risk when you work for a bank but you should not have to "undergo treatment within 14 days" or lose all benefits if you do not suffer trauma right away. I am suffering alone and do not want others to do the same.

[Michelle Renee - Huffpost Blogger]

Sad but true...this is not uncommon. I am on a mission to change laws, policy and procedures as it relates to this issue. So is a great guy named Mike at Scorpio Security. Stand firm when it comes to what you need for a positive recovery. Wishing you all the best and sign future petitions for changes that will better protect the staff!

[211guy]

After 30 years dealing with bank security and bank robberies this is by far the best article I have read; no sugar-coating, no Corporate 'Spin'..... it is what it is.
Billions of taxpayer money to 'bail-out' banking cartels and pennies to protect bank employees and the public.
Great Work

[Michelle Renee - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks 211guy! This is an issue I am very passionate about and intend to do all I can to forge new laws, policies and procedures that will better protect, educate and inform employees in the industry. Hope to get as many survivors of these incidents behind me as well. Wish me luck!

[HeevenSteven]

If it starts happening to Wall street banks, the perps may get cheers.

[JBS]

If it starts happening to Wall Street Banks, the government will put a stop to it.

[wolfgangmo]

If it happens to wall street banks then the executives will get huge cash infusions so they can give themselves bonuses to pay for their PTSD, which they won't have because the uber rich ruling class has it's own private security. But they'll get bailed out anyway.