Chase bank has announced that they will be closing down some of their ATM vestibules during the night as crime soars in New York City, according to the New York Post. Chase has made this decision “for the safety” of their customers and employees after crime in the city has risen to uncontrollable levels.
According to the Post, “Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, warned, ‘When a major bank like Chase is closing ATMs early or limiting access because of crime, it’s about time that Albany acts. We know retail is getting crushed by crime and now banks are worried about their customers. Lax policies, dumb laws, DAs that don’t prosecute, and incompetent politicians, are doing their best to usher in the 1990s.'”
This is not the first time banks in the city have had to close part of the day because of serious problems. In August, the Post reported that banks were closing their doors during the night because homeless people were using the vestibules, and some were even using them as toilets. John Weilbaker, the president of NewYorkATM, explained that closing the vestibules down for the night is much easier than taking care of the mess that gets left there overnight.
Chase customers expressed frustration with the new regulation. Some took to Twitter posting that it is “annoying” and “dumb,” noting that they are being inconvenienced in the night because of Chase’s new policy.
Still, Chase’s concern for their customers and employees is so high at the moment that they feel the only option is to close down access to the ATMs through the night when and where threatening incidents are most likely to occur. A spokesperson for the New York Bankers Association followed up the service changes saying, “ensuring the safety and security of customers and employees have always been a top priority of the banking industry,” adding that they are working towards solutions by working with banks, law enforcement, and the local community.