STREET crimes and robberies occur on a daily basis these days. Being a banker, I would like to draw the attention of the government in general and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in particular towards mugging at ATMs.
Many customers are robbed and some are killed while resisting robbery. It hasbeen observed through CCTV cameras that dacoits easily barge into the ATM room and rob the customer in minutes.
They shoot their victim if he resists.
I wonder why an ATM, being a source of cash withdrawal, is installed without safety measures. A mere CCTV camera is not enough. Besides anti-skimming measures, there should be a walkthrough gate inside the ATM room where a weapon or even a metal object could be easily detected.
This should be installed in such a way that when a weapon or a metal object is detected, a siren is sounded and the security company of the bank is alerted.
Likewise, such a system should also be there in case a bank`s vault is broken.
The government and the SBP should take these measures for the security of their account holders.
