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Bank robberies: An unheard of phenomenon in Jordan
Jan 25,2018 - Last updated at Jan 25,2018
Robbing banks is certainly alien to Jordan that the public was shocked and taken by a big surprise when two banks were robbed in a row, one in Abdoun and the other in Wihdat, this past week.
True crime rate has increased in the country in recent times due in part to dire economic conditions, no doubt, but robbing banks is a new phenomenon that must be nipped in the bud before it becomes contagious.
Majority of crimes committed in Jordan are of the petty kind but robbing banks at gunpoint is certainly something else. To be sure, security measures at banks are relatively lax in Jordan with minimum security checks conducted at their entrances. Security cameras are obviously well placed which add to the general security of banks but they are not enough.
There is hardly any security personnel at most banks in the country including at their entrances, something that may have given the wrong impression to would-be robbers that robbing banks is relatively easy and safe with no security complications.
Banks should, therefore, recruit either their own guards armed with necessary weapons or engage state police for this purpose to prevent any repetitious bank robberies. People withdrawing huge amounts of money from banks must be also weary of robbers who could be watching them as they enter and exit banks. Jordanians need to take notice that we live in hard times when outlaws could be on the increase.
Economic hardships are no excuse to commit crimes of whatever kind and people must avoid attributing the new wave of bank robbers to only poverty per se. Jordan like most countries across the globe has had its share of poverty pockets but this is no excuse to be lax about this crisis. Collective vigilance by all stakeholders is therefore needed to combat this new form of robbery.
The speed with which the police in Amman were able to apprehend the robber of the bank in Abdoun is commendable and should discourage would-be robbers from conducting more reckless attacks on banks and other financial institutions.