Mangaluru : The police on Tuesday urged cooperative banks and societies in the district to scale up security measures on their premises by installing closed circuit television cameras, burglary alarms, and panic buttons.
Speaking at a meeting of representatives of these institutions, organised by the South Canara District Central Cooperative Bank here, Superintendent of Police S.D. Sharanappa also issued a veiled warning.
“You will have to follow the advisory issued by the police and they cannot be taken lightly. Otherwise, the police can act against institutions which do not comply with the directions.” The meeting was organised in the wake of increasing incidents of thefts, burglary etc., from financial institutions and also a series of bank heists in neighbouring Kasargod district of Kerala. Mr. Sharanappa said banks and societies doing financial transactions should deploy security guards, install CCTV cameras, burglar alarms, motion detection sensors, panic buttons, safety lockers, strong rooms and get valuables insured, among other steps. Also, there should be regular verification as to whether the installed gadgets were working properly, he added.
SCDCC Bank president M.N. Rajendra Kumar said the bank’s head office as well as branches had adopted proper and adequate security measures and guidelines as mandated by the Reserve Bank of India.
Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies B.K. Saleem instructed heads of cooperative institutions to furnish details of the security measures taken in their institutions to the department by October 5.