Bankers, Law Enforcement Introduce Bank Robbery Deterrent with Premiere of “Public Enemies”
WBA Press Release, July 2, 2009
MADISON—Coinciding with the opening week of “Public Enemies,” a movie partly filmed in Wisconsin chronicling the life of bank robber John Dillinger, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice and the Milwaukee Police Department will unveil the “No Hats, No Hoods, No Sunglasses, No Guns” campaign, a voluntary program designed as a deterrent for bank robbers. The press conference will be held on July 2 at 1:00 p.m. at the FBI’s Milwaukee office, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue (take elevators to Fourth Floor conference room). The announcement will jumpstart the statewide WBA campaign beginning in Milwaukee.
“The simple act of removing hats, hoods and sunglasses in Wisconsin’s banks will make it much easier to identify and capture anyone committing a crime.” said Ron Slater, president/CEO, Bankers’ Bank and current WBA Board of Directors Chair.
“We also timed the unveiling of this campaign with the opening week of ‘Public Enemies’ on purpose. The movie, by all reports, is very good but it does portray John Dillinger as a folk hero rather than the dangerous criminal he really was,” explained Kurt Bauer, WBA president/CEO. “We want to remind the public that bank robbers are dangerous individuals who put the public and bank employees at risk.”
“The FBI obviously supports the efforts of this type of public awareness campaign that promotes security at banks,” stated FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gregory Zack.
“Public safety is my number one priority. Efforts to prevent crime and violence deserve attention and support. The Wisconsin Bankers Association’s program designed to make banking safer for customers and employees is commendable. It will further make it easier to identify and apprehend those engaged in these kinds of criminal activities – so they can then be brought to justice,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.
The Milwaukee Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies around the state also are supporting the program.
Bauer stated this is just one of a number of security efforts banks implement, but the only one that would be discussed publicly. “This is very simple,” said Bauer. “We have signs and posters in the banks and they politely ask people to remove hats, hoods and sunglasses, while explaining open firearms are also not allowed.”
People that refuse will still be served, said Bauer, but “everyone in the bank will be watching them more closely.”
“We want to do everything we can to make our banks safe for customers and employees,” clarified Bauer. “We also want to do everything we can to insure that if someone enters a
Wisconsin bank and commits a crime, that person will be caught and will go to jail for a very long time.”
“To that end, we also want to remind the public and law enforcement of our Robbery Reward Fund. This reward is offered to provide another tool for law enforcement,” said Bauer. “WBA and its members are committed to actions that bring these individuals to justice and deliver the message that robberies are not going to be tolerated.”
The WBA has had a robbery reward program since the 1930s; at one point even donating “tommy guns” to local law enforcement to combat bank robberies. The Robbery Reward Fund provides rewards through law enforcement to individuals who identify anyone wanted in connection with a bank robbery or other crime committed at a bank location, including automated teller machine (ATM) sites if that information leads to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for the robbery.
Press conference attendees include:
Gregory Zack, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI
David Spakowicz, Director-Field Operations Bureau, Division of Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice
Tim Zens, Detective, Milwaukee Police Department
Ralph Spano, Detective, Milwaukee Police Department
Kurt Bauer, President/CEO, Wisconsin Bankers Association
Materials in the press kit will also be available for the media’s use at www.wisbank.com/nohatsnohoods