The City Council is finalizing a bill today to ensure that all 1,698 banks in the city install “bandit barriers” -- a tangible separation in the tellers.
The barriers will protect the area in which business transactions occur. A few banks already have such divisions, including Citibank and Chase.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly applauds the bill.
The need for extra protection is due to the shocking 26 percent increase in bank robberies during the first quarter of this year. The number of robberies increased 57 percent last year compared with the year before.
However, industry officials claim that the robbery rate has decreased since last March. They say there were 135 reported robberies from January 1 through June 23, compared with 192 during the same time last year.
TD Bank is not enthusiastic about the required new "bandit barriers;" representatives say the open environment creates an inviting setting for customers.
“Not one customer or employee has been injured in the course of a robbery,” criminologist and consultant for TD Bank told the Daily News.
