CHICAGO (WGN) — Just last summer, Chicago police issued a warning to small business owners about stand-alone ATM thefts. But months later, the crimes don’t seem to be letting up, with small businesses paying the price.
Another ATM crash-and-grab theft on Wednesday, the third case this week and many more in the last year, has ignited a push for stricter penalties that has now reached the nation’s capital.
Lonnie Talbert, with the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), was in Washington on Wednesday to fight for a new law to address related thefts, in hopes of a bill that could lead to harsher punishments for anyone caught. ATMs have become targets for thieves who look to score quick cash in minutes.
At times, the thieves use trucks and chains to pull stand-alone machines out of locations.
“We had a large jaws of life problem, where people were actually using those tools that are used by first responders to save lives, to actually break into ATMs and take the contents,” said Talbert, adding that the legislation right now is weak in addressing this issue.
While bank thefts are federal crimes, ATM thefts that occur off bank grounds are not. In fact, they’re often state property crimes, leading to lighter punishments.
“When the legislation was written many, many years ago, ATMs were not what they are today,” Talbert said. “The first one came around in 1967, and then they’ve just been growing ever since.”
The Safe Access to Cash Act would make ATM theft a federal crime. In Illinois, the ATM Industry Association has tracked 189 cases in the last few years. Those are just the cases members of their association have reported.
Talbert said that’s a low number and believes there are dozens more out there.
“The criminals are working 24/7 to get around things, and we need to put things in place that when they do get caught, they go away for a long period of time and can’t keep doing this,” Talbert said.
So far, the bill has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s expected to start the process and reach the House floor soon, and has received bipartisan support.
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