The American Bankers Association is supporting a Senate bill to ensure that robberies of off-site ATMs carry the same legal consequences as bank robberies.
The Safe Access to Cash Act (S. 3798) by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would codify ATM crimes under the Bank Robbery Act, which currently does not cover ATMs in public locations. In a letter to the sponsors, ABA noted that attacks against ATMs have increased because their accessibility makes them attractive targets for criminals.
“Criminals often use stolen personal and commercial vehicles, including construction equipment, to physically remove ATMs from their base and access the safe,” ABA said. “Regardless of whether the criminals are successful in accessing the cash, these often result in a loss of service to the community while the ATMs (and the surrounding areas) are repaired or replaced.
“By encouraging the prosecution of these crimes and enforcing the same penalties as bank robberies, we hope that individuals at ATMs and the ATMs themselves will be less attractive targets for crime,” the association added.
