Examining Security Flaws and Lessons from Two Major Bank Robberies

Abstract

1997 North Hollywood Shootout: On February 28th 1997 two heavily armed men attempted to rob the Bank of America branch in [City, State] Robbery of a Brinks Armored Car in 1983: On October 20th 1981, members of the Black Liberation Army and the Weather Underground killed two police officers and a Brinks guard while robbing Brinks armored car at the Nanuet Mall in New York What went right or wrong Both robberies involved professional robbers who planned systematically for their robberies before performing them. Although in both robberies the law enforcers managed to arrest or kill the robbers, it is evident that the robbers proved well armed through advanced firearms and bullet proofs to enhance their personal security and successful operations. It is also open that both instances caught the officers off guard thus dealing with well armed robbers with nothing much but the handguns proved a challenge. While analyzing the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout, it is open that the Bank of America’s North Hollywood branch had the right security measures that would have enhanced security within their bank although the robbers outsmarted them. A good example of a security measure that this bank maintained is putting up firewalls to enhance physical security and strict access controls like using doors that require employee card to open and bullet proof doors which would have protected the bank from unauthorized entry like that made by the two robbers (Rudder, 2015). Based on this robbery, Larry Eugene Philips Jr. 26 years and Emil Matasereanu 30 years employed entry past bullet proof security doors taking control of the entire bank firing weapons illegally modified to enable fully automatic fire, robbed the bank and exited it without much pressure. In such an instance one can conclude that what this bank lacked as a security measures are the right communication system and on-toe security guards that would have ensured prompt alerts for such robberies without the notice of the robbers. When Philip and Matasereanu finished their robbery, they exited the bank without any made alarms until a bystander reported the robbery to the authorities resulting to a serious confrontation. Although the Los Angeles Police Department officers instantly responded to the robbery the two bank robbers proved well armed with body armor and wielding assault rifles compared to handguns that the officers used to counter attack which demanded proper militarization of police officers (Fortenbery, 2018). Although the police managed to kill the two robbers, it is open that these robbers fired more than these officers leaving twelve officers and eight civilians badly injured while numerous vehicles and properties became...