ND1121112

Title: Detroit ATM Thefts Put Retailers on Guard

Description: One retailer is taking necessary steps to protect his store against thieves who drive stolen vehicles into storefronts to steal the ATM.

Page Content:

DETROIT ? Last Tuesday, four men bulldozered a stolen green pickup into a BP gas station in attempt to steal the ATM. When they realized they couldn?t carry it away, the left the scene.

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Detroit Free Press reports that similar incidents have occurred in Detroit in recent months, although police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said no one has been charged in connection with any of this year's ATM thefts.

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In October, a gas station clerk was shot and wounded by thieves who crashed an SUV into the front of the building and stole the ATM. In July, at least six similar robberies were reported, including four at gas stations.

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The thefts are believed to be masterminded by ?a well-organized group of armed men who used a smash-and-grab tactic: crashing stolen trucks through walls of the businesses and hauling away the ATMs in a different vehicle, according to the information,? writes the new source.

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NACS spokesman Jeff Lenard commented that the crime isn?t new among retailers, and that some seem to get hit in cycles that vary depending on location and current economic conditions.

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ATM theft, he said, usually will top for one of two reasons: ?They get caught or the stations change their operations, either installing bollards (metal posts) or bolting the ATMs to the ground, enhancing security practices.?

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Jim Beydoun, who owns a Shell station at Mack and I-75, said he is spending about $2,500 to have 10 bollards installed to protect the ATM.

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"As far as the city goes, I think they have their own problems," he told the news source, adding, "And it seems we're on our own here. We have to fend for ourselves. And we have to do it the best we can."

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Content Subject: Risk Management & Security

Formatted Article Date: November 21, 2011

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