Senior citizens meet police officials at the police headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18: Police have asked banks to guard all automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city.

The police have decided to toughen its stand on unmanned ATMs following a meeting with bankers here today.

Police commissioner R.P. Sharma said the police would insist that all the ATMs were properly guarded.

The police are also planning to moot a proposal for installation of alarms at the ATMs to avoid attempts at break-ins and other emergencies.

“In the aftermath of the Bangalore incident in which a woman was attacked inside an ATM counter recently, we have asked all the bank mangers to deploy security guards in front of their ATM counters. But many of them have in turn told us that a decision had to be taken by their higher authorities. We will ask their higher authorities to deploy security guards and will ensure that the banks comply with the directive,” said Sharma.

Statistics reveal that as many as 22 cases related to ATM were registered in 2013, which include cash loot, vandalisation of ATM counters and tampering with ATM machines. On December 12, 2013, armed goons looted cash, jewellery and mobile phones after injuring two persons immediately after they came out of an ATM counter after withdrawing cash near Biju Patnaik College at Jayadev Vihar.

Of the total 632 ATMs in Khurda district, Bhubaneswar has more than 220. Most of the ATMs in the state capital are unguarded.

A senior police official said that an alarm system would be helpful in curbing ATM-related crimes. It would be cost effective too. “A committee comprising representatives of banks and police officials would be constituted to review the security measures of banks and recommend additional measures needed to be taken to curb incidents of loot and snatching in their vicinity,” added Sharma.

The police have also asked the bankers to install high-frequency cameras in their vicinity to ensure that the footage obtained through the cameras is of good quality that could help them during investigation. In a recent case of loot of cash from a labour contractor in front of a private bank near Sriya Square, the CCTV footage was found to be unclear.

Loot and snatching of money from people who draw cash from banks have become a major concern for the police. Statistics reveal that as many as 15 such cases were registered in 2013.

The police said that more than 200 branches of various banks were operating in the city.

Another senior police official said that they would make special security arrangements for senior citizens who draw huge amounts of cash from banks.

“With prior information to the concerned police stations, we can ensure they do not fall prey to criminals,” said a police official.