Weapons Control System
A reader emails:
I am one of your loyal readers and I was blown away when I went to the local branch of my credit union; they installed a “Weapons Control System”! I was completely and utterly shocked! I wrote the CEO of the Credit Union a letter stating my dissatisfaction with the installment of the system, but I don’t think an article for your readers about this kind of thing would hurt. I took pictures of the sign and the “weapons control system” in hopes that I could share it with my favorite blogs and they could show readers what is happening across our great country.
The pics:
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| From Misc |
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| From Misc |
I am told this is the Coral Gables location, across from University of Miami.
Update: More here.
October 11th, 2010 at 9:22 am
And how do they determine a weapon from a pocketknife or handful of change or a key-ring? For that matter, how will they detect a weapon if someone is in a wheel chair? I’d say, lose these fools.
October 11th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Were there any brand markings on the system near the buttons or the lights?
October 11th, 2010 at 9:26 am
More info here: http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2010/10/09/weapons-control-systems-in-banks/
October 11th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Interesting, but I bet it is pricey!
October 11th, 2010 at 9:41 am
@Jerry in Detroit: Trust me when I tell you that I am shopping for another bank as I write this.
@Freiheit: I didn’t see any markings because I turned right around and went home.”Entry will be denied to persons with weapons” = “Deposits will be denied to banks with Weapons Control Systems”
I am curious to see what kind of response I will get from the letter I wrote the the CEO. I think the critical issue here is that they are creating a situation in which criminals are assured that customers and staff are unarmed coming out of the bank, therefore creating the perfect conditions for an ambush.
October 11th, 2010 at 9:52 am
You are lucky you saw that tiny little sign. I am betting that there are gonna be many legal CCW holders that get trapped in that thing until SWAT shows up because they didnt see that tiny little sign.
Also, couldnt you make the case for kidnapping if you are locked up in that thing? You have not done anything illegal, and you are technically being held against your will.
*I am not a lawyer and my legal advise is worth only what you pay for it.
BTW – All this is gonna do to stop bank robberies is tell robbers not to use the front door.
BTW #2 – What about the armored car guys…. Do they now have to leave their weapons behind in the truck?
October 11th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Haha – I just noticed the “enter one person at a time” sign. Its nice of them to include directions for how the bad guys can defeat the system. 😀
October 11th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Time to put on the old aluminum foil suit and see if I am hiding weapons in it.
October 11th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I’m mostly curious to know how the system would handle police responding to a real emergency at the bank. Would they have to leave their guns outside and enter one at a time? 😉 I kid, of course. I’m sure THEY have an access key or code to disable the system. But still…!
October 11th, 2010 at 10:53 am
And how does this pass the Fire Code? Let’s see, Nut Job Anarchist decides to go out in a Blaze of Glory, enters bank, pulls out Molotov Cocktail made from Glass Beer Bottle, lights it with Wooden Match, throws it at teller while screaming “Death to Capitalism”, elderly patron recovering from Hip Replacement Surgery falls and jams doorway while Lawful CCW carrier is sitting in the Parking Lot waiting on said Grand person to finish their business. Massive smoke and flames, many deaths, but hey! it’s all right, they have 24/7 Security Cams so the D.A can prosecute the miscreants AFTER the incident. And any Cops who do show up will properly Radio it in and secure the Perimeter while awaiting the Swat team to show up 20 minutes later. Then the Mayor, the Police Chief, the local FBI agent, the Dog Warden and the Driver License Head can have their Press Conference 3 hours later, praising each other on how well they all handled the incident.
Or you can use a couple of Construction workers to take the guy out at the school with their bare hands like in Kalifornia a couple of days ago, or the Nut Job can just blow his head off while the Swat Team was unloading their APC to put it on the 10th Floor of the University of Texas Library.
October 11th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Well, on the one hand they are trying to stop robberies. I’ll give them that. But it’s not effective. Robber just waits for normal customer to exit bank, grabs them and forces them inside booth, blocks exit door from closing with something, and threatens bank tellers over the intercom that if they don’t open the inner door that robber will shoot hostage. You know any bank tellers that would refuse?
October 11th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
My bank doesn’t care. I’m usually armed when I go there, and there’s never been a problem. (Of course they don’t KNOW I’m armed – it’s concealed carry – but there are no signs to worry me.)
October 11th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
They’ve had this for a few years at my credit union here in Maryland. You will have to remember that here in the Free State, free people carrying firearms for their own protection is a completely alien concept.
Remember, you can become a felon by going through the drive-thru on your way back from the range, even with your firearms unloaded and locked in your trunk.
October 11th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I know how to beat it. My former bank has one. These devices can be overridden with a button inside the bank. All you have to do is wheel up to the door in a wheel chair, or hobble up on crutches. I guess you could use any metal device for assisting the handicapped.
The bank is left with a choice, either lock out a person in violation of the ADA, or let in the person who sets off the weapons unit.
The trivia question is which method allows a person to steal more money from the bank: With a lawyer, or a gun?
October 11th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
I sure am glad I kept my crutches after the scooter wreck.
October 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
What is the detection threshold, and can it really matter? Wholly hellz, the pocket multitool I carry is at least as big a slab of ferrous metal as my Bodyguard 380. And with a pocketknife next to it, even bigger. Damn right I’d tell them why they lost me as a customer.
October 11th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Contact info here:
http://www.ucumiami.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=77&Itemid=83&lang=en
October 11th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
How will they detect the all-ceramic Gock 7’s you know all the criminals will go to now?
(sarcasm)
October 11th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Here’s how I oould handle that situation: being a retired LEO who is qualified to carry, same as a duty LEO, by adhering to the standards of the LEOSA ’04, I will “rent myself out” (cheap rent, try me!) to licensed CCWs. You meet me at that bank, and I will go in first. When I get trapped, I patiently wait for the bank official to respond to the bullet-resistant enclosure. When said official arrives within close eyesight distance, I present credentials. 70% chance that this action results in profuse apologies, etc. I politely refuse to accept said apologies, and in NOT so “sotto voce”, announce to the world that I am terminating my accounts. But then, I relent, and begin to ask the probing questions: did the membership of the FCU actually authorize them to make this marketing FUBAR, and if so, who was the leader of that misguided group so that I may have speaks. Etc Etc
If the bank mgr refuses to be swayed by the presentation of credentials, I wait for the responding officers, who will be embarrassed and take it out on the bank management for not recognizing my credentials.
How does this help the CCW people? I volunteer, behind the cover of the LEOSA ’04, that we’re REALLY all the same folks, and we’re not even charging you for active protection (unlike the outfit which just installed your dumb trap system).
If I’m REALLY prepared, I have a camera on the outside (and maybe on the inside) recording all of the above byplay.
Rule: any org that gets this outfront about violating the 2A can be undone by someone who is willing to be MORE outfront in supporting the 2A.
Revolutionary tactics, mark ONE mod ZERO.
October 12th, 2010 at 4:54 am
Chase banks in California have had these for several years now. If you do hold up the bank inside, they can catch you in the other little room on the way out. There are a few videos around of bank robbers caught in this system, including one of a guy trying to shoot his way out.
October 12th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Interesting, a deposit denial system.