SafeCatch

Larry Carr, with the Seattle Division of the FBI, developed the SafeCatch concept in 2006 in response to an increase in robberies and a decrease in the quality of robber recognition. The concept is founded on three key principles:1.) Staff vigilance and safe “friendly” action2.) Clear suspect recognition3.) Effective post-incident follow up

While the cost of implementing SafeCatch is surprisingly low compared to other security measures, it is proving to be highly effective. Working with First Mutual Bank, Bank of America, and other institutions; the FBI has trained staff at over 250 branches. These institutions are already seeing results. Anecdotally, through video surveillance, and based on the latest FBI statistics, SafeCatch robbery suppression is already proving highly effective.One of the reasons this program is being embraced by savvy institutions is that it delivers more than just enhanced security at a modest cost. It also can deliver a significantly heightened level of customer development, cross selling, share-of-wallet, and net-advocacy scores. Each customer entering a branch is addressed creating a customer-centric environment and providing opportunities for development. This same centricity causes staff to address unknown visitors in a friendly and non-threatening way. The same “Hi, my name is Bill Franklin and I’m the manager. How can I be of help to you?” works with both a potential robber and new customers as well.

The success of the program have been further enhanced by the development of SafeCatch Architecture. Working with the FBI, EHS-Design, a firm designing retail branches across North America, Hawaii and Guam, developed SafeCatch Architecture to provide the retail environment required to fully support SafeCatch objectives while maximizing the productivity of each customer visit. Together, SafeCatch and SafeCatch Architecture are proving to reduce robberies, increase apprehension of criminals and improving customer development and ROI at a very low cost.

SafeCatch was developed by the Seattle FBI office, and has been implemented in the Seattle banking system, with staff trained in 23 banks. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070412/K041202AU.html Banks try charm to deter robbers; claim it 'scares the lights' out of bandits] CBC] [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003661713_safecatch11m.html Do bank robbers think twice if hit with nice?] Seattle Times] [http://www.bai.org/nl/v2/n18/articles/V2_N18_01.asp?WT.mc_id=BSRDI_ARTICLEARCHIVE_V2_N18_01 "SafeCatching" Bank Robbers] BAI Online]

Efficacy

Recent robbery statistics indicate that SafeCatch is working. Bank of America implemented the program in 2007 throughout its Washington branches. Since then robberies at there branches have been reduced by 70%. While the value of the program was difficult to understand at first, Bank of America's experience and recent experience of other institutions proves it value. The FBI as since trained staff at over 250 branches and the SafeCatch program is gaining traction in other markets as the news spreads.

The “Safe” in SafeCatch is an acronym, denoting Scan (for suspicious persons) Alert (relevant personnel and help) Friendly, neutral confrontation Escape (by the perpetrator shouldn't be the end of the situation).

References

External links

* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9567998 Killing Bank Robberies with Kindness] , National Public Radio audio article

* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5328/is_200712/ai_n21299928 Security with a smile, Credit Union Management magazine, Dec 2007, by Carter, Jaime]

* [http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june07/bandits062507.htm FBI News Release, 25 June 2007]

* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18075473/ How to scare bank robbers? Try smiling, Associate Press article, 11:23 a.m. ET April 12, 2007]