NewsOctober 15, 2014
Banks require costumed customers to show their faces
As Halloween approaches, local banks are taking precautions to keep real-life monsters out of their lobbies. "We don't allow anyone to enter the bank that has any part of their head completely covered up, so masks are absolutely not allowed," said Kevin Greaser, community bank president at Alliance Bank...
As Halloween approaches, local banks are taking precautions to keep real-life monsters out of their lobbies.
"We don't allow anyone to enter the bank that has any part of their head completely covered up, so masks are absolutely not allowed," said Kevin Greaser, community bank president at Alliance Bank.
Alliance isn't alone.
This spring, after three robberies in less than eight months -- including two at the same location -- First Commercial Bank upgraded its security procedures.
The bank, which has nine locations in Southeast Missouri, has a lock system that requires tellers to buzz customers in and out of the bank instead of letting them enter the building at will.
"If they come up and they want in, we will have to be able to identify them, or we will not let them in," said Mary Lawrence, chief operating officer for the bank.
Customers with Halloween masks or makeup obscuring their faces still can transact business, but they will have to settle for drive-through service, Lawrence said.
Like Alliance and First Commercial, many other local banks have standing policies requiring customers to remove hats, masks and sunglasses before entering the building, said Cpl. Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.
"I've seen a lot of banks go to that policy all year 'round -- not just at Halloween," he said.
Recognition
Hickey said banks and other businesses, such as convenience stores, can increase their security -- at Halloween and beyond -- by having an employee greet customers as they come in.
"Greeting somebody at the door is a deterrent for crime. ... If somebody is there for illegal purposes ... then a lot of times, they don't want to be recognized," he said. "They don't want people to see them or call them out."
Rebecca Wu, an FBI spokeswoman, said that is true of bank robbers, who try to be as inconspicuous as possible.
"Halloween is no different than any other day of the year when it comes to bank robberies," she wrote in a recent email to the Southeast Missourian. "The vast majority of bank robbers do not want to call attention to themselves. In most cases, other bank employees or customers do not even know there's been a bank robbery until after the fact."
Because Alliance is a locally owned bank with just three locations, it is relatively easy for employees to get to know their customers and recognize them when they come in, Greaser said.
A receptionist greets every customer who enters the bank, he said, and tellers are trained to recognize everyone who walks in.
The bank usually has administrators in the lobby to greet customers as well, Greaser said.
"If somebody comes in who we don't know, our awareness is heightened," he said.
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Bank personnel also pay special attention to customers carrying backpacks, wearing bulky clothing or behaving suspiciously, Greaser said.
First Commercial Bank employees know their customers, too, and they will not buzz in anyone they can't identify, Lawrence said.
"Even if they did not have a costume on, if we do not recognize the people ... they will have to prove who they are," she said.
Bankers aren't the only ones who ask people to show their faces. Police officers often ask Halloween revelers to remove their masks, Hickey said.
"First thing we want to do is we want to know who you are," he said. "We want to know who we're talking to."
Hickey asked the public to be patient and understand businesses and officers are not trying to interfere with their enjoyment of the holiday when they ask them to uncover their faces.
"That's a safety issue, and everybody is safety-conscious, and sometimes it might be a little inconvenient, but it's all about keeping everybody safe," he said.
Individuals have the right to wear costumes and makeup, but businesses are under no obligation to serve them when they do, Hickey said.
"There's no law against it, but businesses have that right -- they are private property," he said. "They do have the right to refuse service to anybody ... so the best thing to do is cooperate and understand it is about safety."
Common sense
Greaser said his staff tries to balance safety procedures with common sense.
"If it's a mother bringing in her 5-year-old and 6-year-old, and Mom is completely uncovered, and the two little ones are in costume, we're going to allow that," he said.
Minimal makeup also would not be a problem, Greaser said, giving the example of customers who paint whiskers on their faces as part of an animal costume.
"If we can't recognize who you are when you walk in, then, yes, we will stop you and ask you to leave the bank and do your business at a more appropriate time," he said.
Customers who need to cash a check or make a deposit while wearing costumes are welcome to use the drive-through, Greaser said.
"We do have a certain standard, but we do try and apply some common sense to that," he said.
epriddy@semissourian.com
388-3642
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