Modus Operandi by Mauro Corvasce (universal ebook reader txt) 📕

trash bags and assault the display cases. Prior scouting showed where the expensive jewelry is kept, and this is collected first. If there is time, they will make an attempt to enter and loot the safe. Upon completion of the robbery, our robbers will exit the same door they entered, and flee the area.

Transportation to and from the premises is important. Stolen vehicles may be used and dropped off at locations where the stolen items and team members will be transferred. It is not uncommon to have team members separate to avoid detection. The loot will be held by one person, if possible. In their flight, they will change vehicles frequently, along with directions of travel. They may even hand off the loot to make the chance of apprehension less likely. A meeting will be arranged where the loot will be sorted out and divided. In other cases, one person may be responsible for fencing the goods and dividing the monies received.

Bank Robberies

A professional bank robber can be a single person or a gang. The gang usually controls the crowd inside the bank while one member cleans out the teller stations. This is especially important in large banks where the customer traffic is substantial. Bank robbers know that the easy money is in the teller stations, all the action will take place in this area. Bank robbers rarely enter vaults because of the time that it takes.

The lone robber is more likely to go to just one teller. In a small branch he may attempt more than one teller by starting at the middle teller or one close to a wall, so that he can be sure no one sends a silent alarm. He can also watch for other customers or security personnel entering the bank.

Lone robbers sometimes reveal their weapons; others just make threats, verbally or by writing demands on the back of a deposit slip. The robber will walk up to a teller and request the money be placed in a bag that he supplies. After receiving his money, he will promptly leave and follow steps to escape in a manner similar to the one used by our jewel thief.

The professional, through surveillance, will examine exit routes, parking for his escape vehicle, video surveillance locations, and the location of the bank's teller stations. Once inside, he will make use of this surveillance by acting familiar with the surroundings. For example, he won't be startled when greeted at the door.

When robbing a bank, it is important to carry the proper equipment. In most single-person robberies, a weapon will not be shown, but the robber will threaten its use. The bag used to carry the money can be a plastic shopping bag, a gym bag or even coat pockets.

When several people are robbing a bank, weapons will be shown immediately to control the customers in case one is an off-duty police officer or other professional. If one of the customers plans to stop the robbery, he will know immediately that customers along with employees may be injured in the crossfire.

Once inside, the customers will be collected or asked to lie on the floor. Certain members of the group will either stand at the door, collect the money from the tellers, or watch over customers and employees. They will exit and leave much like the criminals we described in the jewelry store heist.

Remember back a few years ago, when banks installed bulletproof glass to separate the teller from the customer? In some banks it would reach the ceiling to prevent a would-be robber from attempting to leap over the glass into the teller areas while robbing the bank. Walk into a bank today and see if this security method is still used. In most cases, they have been removed, because desperate armed robbers would demand money from the tellers by threatening to kill customers. This security measure, even though it may have been a good idea, did not work for the banking industry.

Armored Car Robberies

Although strip-mall banking and check cashing stores are convenient, they are also more vulnerable, and a secure method of transporting monies to and from them is critical. The trend toward establishing these banks greatly increased the use of armored cars and the amounts of money they carry.

Professional and amateur robbers both know that more money will be obtained from the robbery of an armored car than a bank. An armored car could carry several million dollars while making its rounds, which is obviously enticing to a bank robber who is very lucky if he makes ten to fifteen thousand dollars by cleaning out the teller stations.

Because armored car robberies are more risky and much harder to carry out, since the guards are well-trained and well-armed, armored car robberies are usually more violent. The same pre-planning takes place and will include some type of insider information about the arrival of the vehicle and the first and last stops it makes. The first and last stops are important because, if the armored vehicle is delivering money, it will contain more at the beginning of the route. If the armored vehicle is making cash pickups, then the more pickups, the more money it will contain at the end of the route. Robbers want to attack when the armored car will have the most money.

The armored car usually contains three armed personnel — the driver, a passenger up front, and one person in the back of the truck. Their weaponry will vary with the cargo and the location of their clients. All guards carry some type of handgun and will be in uniform. Military-style shotguns or rifles may or may not be carried.

The procedures of the guards are usually consistent. The driver may or may not exit the vehicle depending on the amount of the transfer. If it is a substantial amount, the driver will stand between the rear of the armored car and the establishment. The passenger will transport the money, and the person sitting in