Kodagu police advise bank officers, jewellery store owners to be more vigilant and step up security measures following recent bank robberies

Kodagu Police advise banks, finance companies, and jewellery stores to install high-definition cameras for enhanced security measures.

In the wake of recent bank robberies in the State that triggered panic among the public and bank customers, the Kodagu Police on Tuesday convened a meeting of the officers of public sector banks, cooperative banks, finance companies, and also the owners and representatives of jewellery stores functioning in the district to apprise them of the safety and precautionary measures to be taken and issued necessary directions.

Presided over by Superintendent of Police of Kodagu K. Ramarajan, he told the participants to ensure that the banks and jewellery stores have CCTV surveillance both inside and outside the premises, and the cameras should always be operational.

The banks have been asked to install high-definition cameras that can provide clear footage even night images for identifying the wrongdoers.

Mr. Ramarajan told the banks, the finance companies, and the jewellery stores to ensure that the storage of CCTV images should either be stored in cloud storage or an alternative storage system so that six months’ footage can be accessed. The footage should not be deleted for at least six months.

By installing the burglar alarm, the locals and the neighbours are alerted on the unauthorised entry of miscreants into the banks and they could, in turn, alert the police for action, the police officials said in the meeting.

While asking the bank officers to follow the protocols issued by their head offices, the banks must follow the guidelines while transporting cash for loading in the ATMs with adequate security of armed personnel. The banks and the jewellery stores can alert the police by calling helpline 112 if they come across any suspicious persons found in the vicinity.

The police have also asked the local bodies to install good-quality cameras in public places. The banks can also make use of their CSR funds for installing cameras in public places and on the highways, the officers said.