Gov’t adopts new security measures following series of bank robberies

AMMAN — Government agencies have decided to adopt new security and preventive measures for financial institutions following repeated robbery incidents over the past four months, official sources said.

Six banks and one money exchange shop in the capital witnessed robberies since the beginning of the year, with some cases involving armed robbers while other robbers used fake weapons for intimidation. Six of the seven robbers were arrested so far, while one suspect, who escaped with over JD95,000 in cash from a bank in the Wihdat neighbourhood, remains at large.

“Minister of Interior Samir Mubaidin instructed the Public Security Department [PSD] to connect banks and other financial institutions with the PSD’s command and control centre during a visit to the department on Sunday,” Sartawi said.

The new measure, the police official told The Jordan Times, falls under “a security code that ensures around the clock security surveillance by the PSD’s command and control centre so that the response will be quick in the event of any emergency”.

“We are in the process of connecting our centre with financial institutions and this will be in place soon,” Sartawi added.

Also Monday, the Lower House’s Financial Committee met with representatives from the Interior Ministry, the PSD and the representatives from the Central Bank of Jordan and the Bank Association to discuss adopting new measures to “protect vital financial institutions”, Balqa Deputy Mutaz Abu Rumman said.

“We recommended that financial institutions install anti-robbery alarm systems, panic bottoms as well as hiring retired army personnel and security guards to work at these facilities,” explained Abu Rumman, who is the deputy chair of the committee.

The lawmaker noted there are 26 working banks in Jordan with 931 branches all over the Kingdom, adding: “We are hopeful that the new measures will help stop robberies targeting these institutions.”

Following the latest bank robbery last week, Mubaidin described the robbery cases on banks and money exchange shops as "worrying", noting that they have become a public concern.

The minister stressed that bank robberies cannot be considered security faults, especially since the Kingdom's security apparatuses always support security staff at banks. 

Central Bank of Jordan Governor Ziad Fariz also commented on the recent string of robberies last week, stressing that the banking sector is a main pillar in the sustainable economic development process, which plays a main role in preserving the national economy and enhancing its growth.