News

Cleveland mulls measures to curb ATM ram raids

December 8, 2016

The Cleveland City Council is trying to figure out how to put an end to "a rash of ATM smash-and-grabs that have been taking place all over the city," according to a report by News 5, the local ABC affiliate.

Legislation submitted to the council would decree the siting and installation of ATMs "away from the front of buildings and the stores' entrance walls and … bolted to a brick or concrete wall with heavy duty brackets and fasteners. The machines would also be bolted into the floor and have GPS tracking devices in them," the report said.

Other mandates in the bill include security cameras as well as concrete barricades to prevent vehicles from crashing through the storefront.

Additionally, deployers would be required to register their machines with the city and relicense them annually, the report said.

The legislation will have to be scheduled for a hearing to include merchants and the public. In the meantime, Cleveland police are stepping up their ATM patrols. Six officers will receive distinguished service medals this week for their work preventing smash-and-grab attacks, according to a report at Cleveland.com.