TOKYO -- A spate of ATM thefts has prompted Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) to revise its standards for crime prevention measures at ATMs run by financial institutions.
The NPA met with nine organizations Dec. 25, including the Japanese Bankers Association and the Japan Vendor Machine Manufacturers Association to discuss new safety protocols. The NPA has requested that banks remove cash from ATMs during periods when ATM service is halted, such as the New Year holiday, according to The Daily Yomiuri.
The proposed changes mark the first revision in three years. The agency originally decided on security measures, including the standard strength of ATM fixtures and their cash safes, in October 1999. Those standards were designed on the assumption that thieves would target ATMS using crowbars. Recently, thieves have been using power shovels and other construction equipment to cart off the ATMs, according to the report.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 24, 54 ATMS were ripped out using construction equipment, causing 326 million yen (U.S. $2.7 million) in damage.
