Noticed something interesting about my bank courier's vehicle: thoughts?

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40SW

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Went to my local bank this morning to make a deposit. (medium size regional state bank). I didn't use the drivethru, but went inside.
Upon completion of my transaction, I walked outside and saw the bank courier exit as well and enter his vehicle. This gentleman is not with Brinks or Wells Fargo, this is not an armored car type transfer with cash and coin, this is a guy who transports documents, (ie, checks, drafts, stock certificates, notarized mortgage documents, etc)., in otherwords he does not carry any money. ( I know this because of what I am about to tell you below).
The gentleman was unarmed (no open carry) as far as I could tell, no uniform, and he was driving a minivan, (possibly a Plymouth Voyager or clone). I have no idea what the bank's policy is on CCW or if he was or not.
Here is what surprised me. , the minivan had the bank's logo very prominantly displayed on the passenger and side sliding door, it also had the following written on it. ( -DOCUMENT COURIER ONLY, DRIVER CARRIES NO CASH-)
Please correct me if I am wrong, but this bothers me for several reasons listed below. Please tell me if I am over reacting.

1. why advertise that its a bank vehicle at all?
2. Would the sign detter some drug crazed imbecile who will still think that there is cash in the car regardless of the sign.
3. Regardless of whether you are transporting cash or important documents like checks, stocks, bond certificates and notarized mortgages, does it not make sense to use a visible openly armed transport like Brinks or Wells Fargo and use their armored car service since you are paying for it anyway?
4. Why draw attention to yourself if you only have one driver who is not OPENLY armed and may be a potential target.
5. What about identity theft, if someone steals something like a credit card draft or a mortage document that has social security numbers and other critical data, isn't that as important as cash? doesn't the bank have a responsibility to protect that data with an armed security service like they use for cash?
6. If you are the driver , how would you feel?
7. If you are the bank customer, how would you feel?
8. If you are the potential criminal, how would you feel?
9. If the bank had a no CCW policy, would you still carry if you were the driver?

thoughts?
 
hey my dad does that!

the stuff in those bags is just paperwork, usually recipts and such. it doesn't even go to the same place as the money trucks. it usually goes to an op center. secondly, a lot of those drivers are not workers for the bank, but independent contracters. if the stuff gets stolen, it gets stolen. the couriors are not gonna put there life on the line for the stuff.
my dad has been doing it for over ten years and has never had a problem nor knows of anyone who has had a problem with theft.
 
Bluestarlizzard:
" the stuff in those bags is just paperwork"..<end quote>

Paperwork which has.

1. bank account numbers
2. My address.
3. credit card numbers.
4. social security numbers.
5. driver's license numbers.

Still think its just paperwork?:)

:)
 
Armored trucking is a poor choice for document transfers. Documents may be going anywhere in the city. Money from a bank goes either to another bank, or predetermined stops, grocery stores, etc, usually delivered as change orders to the company vault the night before, and set up for the next day's run. An armored truck runs on a tight schedule, and has to make it to the vault before the end of the banking day, usually 4PM, to get same-day credit for the customers' deposit. That credit is usually sufficient to pay for the truck's services, so customers really want thier money in on time, andget a bit upset when it doesn't make it. Running documents around to ever changing stops would play merry hob with a normal route.
A clearly identified courier vehicle is good, as some ATM vehicles are NOT identified, and one would not want a potential assailant(s) to wrongly target the document courier. That is not likely to happen, as most armored trucking robberies are inside jobs, and the few that aren't tend to be cased pretty hard prior to the attack. Anyone casing the courier would know he/she has nothing worth stealing. Any attack after that would be simple random chance, the same chances we take every day.
As for dienty theft, I don't know, never worked that job before, so i don't know exactly what things would be transported.
 
I agree...

...with 40SW. I worked in banking for almost 4 years and the "paperwork" in those bags is extremely important. There are account numbers, addresses, phone numbers, DL numbers, socials, and the like. While there may not be any money found in those bags, the is plenty of money behind the paper in those bags.

As a driver, I would want to be protected during my job -- I would want to carry.
 
It is entirly possible that they pick up financial documents from manufacturers and businesses that require the vehicle to be marked. When I was in high school, I had a part time job with a tool and die company. When I would go to John Deere to pick up or drop off parts I had to put a magnetic sign on the truck identifying the company before I would be let through the security gate.

Just a hunch though.
 
Brings back memories.

A long time ago, I did the bank courier pickup thing. 120th Street in Harlem, at night.

I had to drive up, knock on the door, then step back to the curb so the manager looking out the second floor window could see me.

Then he'd appear inside 2 sets of locked doors with a locked leather bag, look both ways, unlock the first set of doors and step through.

Then he'd look both ways, open the outer set, shove the bag through and lock the doors, leaving me on the street with the bag.

I hated that job, and always felt like I had a big bullseye on my back.
 
czdavid and everyone else:
What do you think the bank can do to minimize the potential threat of critical documents being stolen with respect to identity theft from these marked vehicles? Do you think the vehicles should be unmarked or should armored car (openly armed uniformed) services be utilized?
 
once again, i have never heard of stuff getting stolen. never even an attempt.
furthermore, folks consintrating on idenity theft are not typically gonna outright rob a bank courior. there are easier ways to get that info. the concern is dumb butt criminals who think there might be money. once they know there isn't any money, there not gonna bother.
 
i've substituted for my dad before. i've gone on a lot of runs. i've never felt in danger. maybe its the banks we go to or the area we live in, but getting robbed has never been the primary concern.
 
Armored car/truck seems to me to be overkill. The courier company my bank used was not "branded" -- the driver did not have any markings on his/her vehicle. I do agree that the potential risk of identity theft is small with these companies, but protecting the customer was my number one priority each day at work. We had to make sure the bag was locked and fully documented before it left the building. Any "branding" by the courier company raises the probability of the courier being hit.

I did hear of one attempt at getting the bank bag from the courier. If I remember correctly, the bag was stolen and the bank had some work to do to prevent any serious issues. The courier does run a risk each time he/she steps out into the parking lot, but having them travel via armored truck just isn't quite practical.
 
"who said they don't. a ccw is a ccw is a ccw."

I never said, nor implied, that they didn't. All I meant was that I would like to have the opportunity to carry. Many banks do not allow those entering the building to be armed. Now, I realize this presents us with a moral question of "to carry, or not to carry," but I'm afraid that would be off topic. I leave that issue there...
 
If the vehicle is owned by the bank, then USDOT reg's say that it has to have the name of the company on it in letters greater than such-and-so high. If not owned by the bank, then the bank may require those placards be affixed to insure that they're giving the documents over to a proper employee. Either way, if I were the driver, I'd want to be armed, although I would probably not feel as strongly about protecting the documents, as I would about protecting my own life.
 
I was an armed courier in Boston for over two years. I used a small, agile unmarked vehicle, dressed casually, and took my time. On certain runs I worked in tandem with a partner who provided overwatch. I don't know why any business who doesn't need hundreds of pounds of coin or bulky amounts of cash would hire anyone else.
 
Usually commercial vehicles are required to have company signage and DOT registration numbers of a certain size/location, etc. (kind of like boats do).
Sound like a lot of work for your average criminal who wants quick money to go through all the documents and start up ID theft, fraud, etc. That said, I'd carry if I had that job, or find another line of work.
 
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