Home » An ATM Security System Did Not Stop Smash and Grab

An ATM Security System Did Not Stop Smash and Grab

Posted by Rick Charney on Nov 1, 2017

A commercial site’s ATM security system was unable to deter or prevent a smash-and-grab robbery in Pennsylvania. The thieves damaged a shopping center to gain access to the ATM. Since the article was published, the thieves have not been caught.

A Pennsylvania shopping center had a video camera strategically placed near an ATM. Live video monitoring was not reported. The suspects stole a 2005 Chevrolet from a nearby country club. The stolen vehicle had a snowplow and a salt spreader attached. According to the ATM security video, the thieves attached one end of a chain to the ATM and the other end to the stolen Chevrolet.

Less than a minute later, the ATM security video showed the thieves pulling the ATM machine out of the door. The smash-and-grab robbery resulted in an unreported amount of property damage and a loss of $14,000 cash from the machine. Later that day, the stolen vehicle and part of the equipment used in the smash-and-grab robbery were found. The ATM cash box was not recovered.

The local authorities said that smash-and-grab robberies happened across the entire state. Other incidents included smash-and-grab robberies involving small ATM machines located inside restaurants and delis.

This shopping plaza is not a Stealth client.

One Dallas, Texas client, however did have our ATM security solution.

A Chevrolet pickup truck loitered at a shopping center parking lot. The truck reversed into the storefront of a grocery store twice, in an attempt to uproot the ATM.

Two suspects ran out of the vehicle and tried to clear a path for the ATM. The ATM security operator activated an on-site speaker. The suspects attempted to flee but the security operator called the authorities and the Dallas Police arrived within a few minutes. Video evidence supplements police calls. It verifies that the activity is a crime in progress.

Stealth Monitoring is the leader in remote video surveillance in Canada and the U.S, with over 400 employees, 11 offices, and 3 live video monitoring control centers. Stealth’s proactive video monitoring watches over 17,000 IP and CCTV security cameras. Our security solutions feature advanced technology and can detect and deter crime while reducing security guard and other expenses. Our remote monitoring service can reduce or even replace security guards at a fraction of the cost. A remote surveillance operator can see suspicious activity, activate a speaker warning, and call the local police.

Please call toll-free (855) STEALTH or contact us today for more information to protect your outdoor assets. Visit the Stealth website to see real arrest videos at construction sites, multifamily apartments, shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses, auto dealerships, and other commercial real estate properties.