Bank Employees Get Tips on How to Deal With Bank Robbers

As a result of the , the Shoreline Police Department held a seminar for bank employees on what to do in case of a robbery, Wednesday morning at Shoreline City Hall.

Officers went over several scenarios on how to identify bank robbers and details during a stressful situation of a robbery.

 Members of the Active Shooter and Patrol, Hostage Negotiation Team and TAC 30 (the SWAT team) spoke as well.

In the case of a take-over robbery that results in a hostage situation, deputy Dick Cooper of the Hostage Negotiation Team, said, “If it does happen make sure employees do the obvious and cooperate with the robber,” and “remain calm.”

Christian Bartlett, who helped investigate the lastest string of robberies, said, "surveillance video has gotten so much better. We can get some pretty clear face shots."

During the recent robberies, the Key Bank stills from July 6, showed good shots of the bandaged face of 64-year-old Jack Sexton, who was arrested last week. The robbers, however, wore Halloween masks, including Bill and Hillary Clinton masks for subsequent robberies to disguise themselves.

Bartlett said stand-alone banks, like Key Bank at 175th St., the Wells Fargo at 145th and Greenwood Ave., and Whidbey Island Bank on Ballinger Way, which all were robbed this year are more likely to be robbed since they are not in shopping center or mall or inside a grocery store.

Employees will be questioned by 911 dispatchers and detectives and the things to look for or be aware of include: a top to bottom description of the person; direction of travel; communication, what did the suspect say; observations immediately after the incident; and evidence preservation after the incident.

The bank employees at the seminar said it was helpful and one long-time employee of Whidbey Island Bank said her bank had been robbed “about 15 times,” about once a year, in her 15 years at the bank.

Shoreline Police Chief Dan Pingrey, who manages the personal assistance team for King County Sheriff’s Department, which counsels officers involved in shootings, said counseling for bank employees through their employer along with assistance from the Sheriff’s Office is available, especially in instance of a take over robbery where a gun is pointed in an employee’s face.