The first incident occurred in June 2011 when “David Laffer shot and killed four people before walking out with thousands of prescription drugs.” In December 2011, a suspect, as well as an off-duty federal agent, were shot and killed after a robbery at a Seaford Pharmacy.

Schumer’s plan calls for “tighter security at small drug stores, better collaboration between local police and federal authorities and increasing the punishment for pharmacy robberies in order to stem the crisis.” He “recommended that pharmacies equip their shops with silent alarms, timed safes and bullet-proof glass that separate the customer from the pharmacist.”

The agent in charge advised pharmacy owners not to confront a robber as they are usually armed. They simply want to get in, get the drugs and get back out as quickly as possible.

The Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania convenience store hasn’t been robbed in five years and the owner attributes the store’s safe reputation to the booth protecting its clerks. Catina Nahodil, the store owner, said. “I think employers who have these care about their employees a lot.”

Angelina Donvito was charged with robbery, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Nahodil hopes the failed robbery will serve as a warning to other criminals to avoid robbing her store.

Ford cited economic trouble as one possible explanation for August’s increase of robberies stating that at this point, the focus of the robberies has been on the money.

One particular Shell Food Mart was the target of two armed robberies in August. As a result, the store owner, Ahmed Tharani, is looking into bulletproof glass to protect himself from future robberies. Store owners are being advised to take precautions when transporting money to the bank and keep their businesses secure at night.

MANUFACTURING BULLET RESISTANT FIBERGLASS PANELS

The pultrusion machines used to produce bullet resistant fiberglass are twice the length of a city bus and look like a cross between a mechanical loom, an industrial pizza conveyor oven, and a modern newspaper printing press. As you’ll see in the video below, roving–in this case a bullet resistant cloth woven from synthetic para-aramid fibers (such as Kevlar)–is drawn through a resin bath, and then into one or more forming dies, which shape and bake the fiberglass panel. Finally, the fiberglass is cut to appropriate lengths.

THE PULTRUSION ADVANTAGE

Pultrusion produces the strongest possible bullet resistant fiberglass for two reasons: First, because the material is kept under constant tension during the manufacturing process, the fibers will be uniformly aligned, which is ideal for a protective composite. Secondly, the pultrusion method makes it easy to add in extra layers or strands of different fibers, and to keep each strand precisely positioned. The result is a “Kevlar” panel that can contain more than just bullet-stopping Kevlar. Fibers that increase the durability of the panel, or impart other safety, aesthetic, and structural characteristics, can easily be integrated into the process. All told, when compared to traditional “hand lay up” production methods, pultruded fiberglass has a much high per-yard fiber count, which translates into greater rigidity, strength, and durability.

Additionally, the pultrusion method places few artificial constraints on the thickness or length of the panels it can produce. For practical reasons, bullet resistant fiberglass panels are produced in standard 1/4-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch-thick sheets with regular dimensions, complying with the expectations of architects, builders, and shippers. But if you need a 2-inch thick sheet of fiberglass 1,000 feet long, it could be manufactured on existing equipment with minimum delay.

EFFICIENCY AND CONSISTENCY WITH BULLET RESISTANT FIBERGLASS

The fully automated pultrusion method . . . → Read More: Making Bullet Proof Fiberglass Panels]]> The bulk of most bullet resistant systems isn’t in gleaming ballistic glass and steel, but in the inconspicuous panels of bullet resistant fiberglass backing the stud walls and wooden counters. For both quality and convenience, Total Security Solutions exclusively uses American-manufactured pultruded fiberglass panels in their bullet resistant systems.

MANUFACTURING BULLET RESISTANT FIBERGLASS PANELS

The pultrusion machines used to produce bullet resistant fiberglass are twice the length of a city bus and look like a cross between a mechanical loom, an industrial pizza conveyor oven, and a modern newspaper printing press. As you’ll see in the video below, roving–in this case a bullet resistant cloth woven from synthetic para-aramid fibers (such as Kevlar)–is drawn through a resin bath, and then into one or more forming dies, which shape and bake the fiberglass panel. Finally, the fiberglass is cut to appropriate lengths.

THE PULTRUSION ADVANTAGE

Pultrusion produces the strongest possible bullet resistant fiberglass for two reasons: First, because the material is kept under constant tension during the manufacturing process, the fibers will be uniformly aligned, which is ideal for a protective composite. Secondly, the pultrusion method makes it easy to add in extra layers or strands of different fibers, and to keep each strand precisely positioned. The result is a “Kevlar” panel that can contain more than just bullet-stopping Kevlar. Fibers that increase the durability of the panel, or impart other safety, aesthetic, and structural characteristics, can easily be integrated into the process. All told, when compared to traditional “hand lay up” production methods, pultruded fiberglass has a much high per-yard fiber count, which translates into greater rigidity, strength, and durability.

Additionally, the pultrusion method places few artificial constraints on the thickness or length of the panels it can produce. For practical reasons, bullet resistant fiberglass panels are produced in standard 1/4-, 3/8-, and 1/2-inch-thick sheets with regular dimensions, complying with the expectations of architects, builders, and shippers. But if you need a 2-inch thick sheet of fiberglass 1,000 feet long, it could be manufactured on existing equipment with minimum delay.

EFFICIENCY AND CONSISTENCY WITH BULLET RESISTANT FIBERGLASS

The fully automated pultrusion method removes error–a huge concern if you’re building bullet resistant systems. Barring outrageous circumstance, a manufacturer, installer, or consumer can be positive that the first few feet of bullet resistant fiberglass produced in a day is indistinguishable from the last, and will not suffer from the quality variation introduced by a worker whose newborn kept him up the night before.

Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards points out “it’s a lot more efficient than any other process for making fiberglass . . . these machines run 24 hours a day. Our manufacturer right now has a big project with the government, and they have two machines running day-in and day-out starting in March and ending July.”

This expensive precision equipment ironically reduces the end cost of the product. Traditional fiberglass manufacturing is an intensely hands-on procedure that takes more than a little finesse to master. This doesn’t just introduce variation in the final product, but also drives up the cost of fiberglass produced using hand lay up methods. The cost of a pultruded panel is almost entirely in raw materials, with only a small percentage going to cover labor, machine upkeep, and facilities overhead.

A masked man carrying an AK-47 assault rifle entered a Florida gas station convenience store just before 3:00am on July 23, but left empty-handed after discovering the clerk was safely protected behind bulletproof glass. No customers were harmed.

Police were able to catch a glimpse of his face, however, when he removed his mask as he walked out of the store.

While the idea of a $300 million yacht is beyond the reach of most people, it’s fun to see how the other half lives. A blog post on HauteLiving.com states that David Geffen, DreamWorks founder, recently purchased a yacht outfitted with “two helipads, a swimming pool, spa pool, and a lavish owner’s suite with 180-degree panoramic views and a private deck.”

If that weren’t enough, Russion billionaire Andrey Melnichenko’s yacht features “an all-white 2,583-square foot master suite encompassed by bulletproof glass, which can only be accessed through a silver-plated staircase with a fingerprint scanning security measure at the door.”

Watch the 40/29 TV interview of how the Fort Smith police are replacing security guards with bullet proof glass.

Emergency rooms in hospitals nationwide are experiencing an increase in violence. According to the Miami Valley Hospital administrator, “[ . . . ] people come to emergency rooms under stressful situations and included some who are intoxicated, victims of assault or are in police custody.”

As a result, more hospitals are taking precautions to protect their staff and patients. The article states, “[ . . . ] staffers receive special training to defuse heated situations and there is bullet proof glass in emergency room nursing areas.”

According to NPR‘s report, “Inside an 8-foot-tall bulletproof glass cage, the gladiators buzz, crash and generally demolish each other. The bulletproof glass is an important feature — chunks of metal fly in all directions as students drive the robots using remote control.”

The purpose of the demolition is noble: Getting kids geeked about high tech manufacturing.  According to the organizers, as reported by NPR, “Manufacturing’s not a smokestack industry anymore,” says National Tooling and Machining Association Chairman Grady Cope. “What we do is cool.”

We agree: Manufacturing is cool.

Even 10 or 15 years ago bullet proof glass was still a relatively rare sight, reserved for high-profile targets and high-risk areas. But in the last decade–especially following the September 11 terrorists attacks–the market has shifted: Homeland Security money has funded the installation of bullet proof systems in local government buildings. Customers and clients have grown to expect to see bullet proof glass in many business settings. Subsequently, bullet proof companies have themselves changed, expanding and deepening their product lines to accommodate new needs.

These new markets are extremely diverse, and have come to include pain clinics, medical cannabis dispensaries, college campuses, quick-serve restaurants, dentists’ offices, lawyers’ offices, utility payment offices, emergency rooms, hospitals, and even libraries.

Perhaps this seems like overkill for your local library branch, but the central libraries in large cities now offer a broad range of services in addition to lending out books, music, and movies. These large new facilities function more like community centers, where coaches and teachers offer classes, tutoring, and other academic, language, employment, and counseling services. Patrons regularly pay for copies, computer use, and overdue items at the circulation desk. None of these bring in obscene amounts of money, but a conspicuous, steady flow of small bills can attract someone desperate for quick cash. Additionally, some libraries use bullet proof glass to protect especially valuable portions of their collections, such as the the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, whose rare book room includes first-editions by Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, and a 17th century copy of Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius (i.e., The Starry Messenger). Total Security Solutions secured the transaction area of a Southern California library situated in a high-risk area. They also replaced the . . . → Read More: Bullet Proof Glass: Going Beyond Banks]]> When you think of bullet proof glass, you likely picture a bank. According to Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards, “Even people within the industry have gotten too wrapped up in bank work.” Small clients are ignored as companies pursue relationships with Chase or Bank of America, even though such friendships–ruled by the bottom line–are notoriously fickle.

BULLET PROOF GLASS THROUGHOUT THE BUSINESS WORLD

Even 10 or 15 years ago bullet proof glass was still a relatively rare sight, reserved for high-profile targets and high-risk areas. But in the last decade–especially following the September 11 terrorists attacks–the market has shifted: Homeland Security money has funded the installation of bullet proof systems in local government buildings. Customers and clients have grown to expect to see bullet proof glass in many business settings. Subsequently, bullet proof companies have themselves changed, expanding and deepening their product lines to accommodate new needs.

These new markets are extremely diverse, and have come to include pain clinics, medical cannabis dispensaries, college campuses, quick-serve restaurants, dentists’ offices, lawyers’ offices, utility payment offices, emergency rooms, hospitals, and even libraries.

BULLET PROOF GLASS AT THE LIBRARY

Perhaps this seems like overkill for your local library branch, but the central libraries in large cities now offer a broad range of services in addition to lending out books, music, and movies. These large new facilities function more like community centers, where coaches and teachers offer classes, tutoring, and other academic, language, employment, and counseling services. Patrons regularly pay for copies, computer use, and overdue items at the circulation desk. None of these bring in obscene amounts of money, but a conspicuous, steady flow of small bills can attract someone desperate for quick cash. Additionally, some libraries use bullet proof glass to protect especially valuable portions of their collections, such as the the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City, whose rare book room includes first-editions by Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, and a 17th century copy of Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius (i.e., The Starry Messenger). Total Security Solutions secured the transaction area of a Southern California library situated in a high-risk area. They also replaced the exterior doors and windows with bullet proof glass, thus protecting patrons from wayward bullets.

BULLET PROOF GLASS AT THE CHICKEN SHACK

Quick-serve restaurants are another oft-ignored market for bullet proof glass. As largely cash businesses–often open for extended hours in order to accommodate first and third shift workers–these are increasingly targeted by armed robbers. Retrofitting these eateries can be especially tricky, as installers must be careful to take into account the ventilation, airflow, and fire-suppression needs created when friers and grills are sealed behind a wall of bullet proof glass. In these situations, it’s vital that the bullet resistant barrier respond to the realities of the business model. As Jim points out, “They’ve got to be able to do their business, and it’s fast food, so the bullet proof system can’t be slowing them down.” This often means building custom package passers with the capacity to transfer a given restaurant’s tray or chicken bucket smoothly enough to avoid knocking over the super-sized beverage.

Total Security Solutions works with 500 to 1000 clients each year, mostly small businesses: individual restaurants, gas stations, and offices. Instead of fruitlessly chasing after huge multinational banks Total Security Solutions aims to satisfy and serve each client, without sacrificing little to big.

By their nature bullet resistant barriers can make customers feel cut off from staff–an effect all the more obvious if that barrier muffles voices, transmits light poorly, or becomes scuffed and foggy as it ages. But by the time a retailer contacts a bullet proof company like Total Security Solutions, their security worries have usually become acute. They’ve generally resigned themselves to increasing threshold resistance and loosing sales in the name of safety.

According to Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards, at this stage few business owners are considering aesthetics. “When I first get that call, they’re worried about security; they aren’t really concerned about what it will look like as long as it’s safe and they can talk through it. They’ve seen the old bullet proof barriers at the check casher down the street: that awful, old, green-tinted bullet proof glass with a big metal backer over the talk hole that no one can hear through.”

Customers are very uncomfortable when they feel they cannot properly hear the worker, or sense that they themselves aren’t being heard. Jim notes, “If the bullet proof barrier is designed correctly, then natural voice transmission just occurs; your clients hardly even notice the glass.”

Jim encourages his staff to walk business owners through the Total Security Solutions website, “the business owners start to say, ‘Wow, I can have something special here, something that brightens up my location, cleans it up, makes it look more . . . → Read More: The Bullet Proof Barrier and Threshold Resistance]]> “Threshold resistance” is the natural (if irrational) human tendency to shy away from crossing into someone else’s space–specifically, into a store, bank, or other place of business. Since no transaction is possible until the customer comes through the door, builders who specialize in retail spaces do everything they can to reduce this psychological friction. For example, shopping mall magnate A. Alfred Taubman is famous for using shiny non-slip terrazzo tiles in his malls in the early 1980s–when most builders favored long-wearing industrial carpeting–because the dull carpet created both physical and psychological drag that prevented shoppers from casually gliding into stores.

BULLET PROOF BARRIERS AND THRESHOLD RESISTANCE

By their nature bullet resistant barriers can make customers feel cut off from staff–an effect all the more obvious if that barrier muffles voices, transmits light poorly, or becomes scuffed and foggy as it ages. But by the time a retailer contacts a bullet proof company like Total Security Solutions, their security worries have usually become acute. They’ve generally resigned themselves to increasing threshold resistance and loosing sales in the name of safety.

BULLET PROOF BARRIERS THAT EASE TRANSACTIONS

According to Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards, at this stage few business owners are considering aesthetics. “When I first get that call, they’re worried about security; they aren’t really concerned about what it will look like as long as it’s safe and they can talk through it. They’ve seen the old bullet proof barriers at the check casher down the street: that awful, old, green-tinted bullet proof glass with a big metal backer over the talk hole that no one can hear through.”

Customers are very uncomfortable when they feel they cannot properly hear the worker, or sense that they themselves aren’t being heard. Jim notes, “If the bullet proof barrier is designed correctly, then natural voice transmission just occurs; your clients hardly even notice the glass.”

Jim encourages his staff to walk business owners through the Total Security Solutions website, “the business owners start to say, ‘Wow, I can have something special here, something that brightens up my location, cleans it up, makes it look more professional, safe, secure.’ After we’re done installing, they’re amazed: They had no idea that it was going to be this beautiful, that it was going to be this clean, that the edges were going to be this crisp.”

Instead of hindering business, a well-designed bullet proof barrier actually lowers threshold resistance by reinforcing workers’ professionalism, customer’s confidence, and everyone’s safety.

In Berlin, “Facing Justice — Adolf Eichmann on Trial” opened this week.  The exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of the infamous trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann.  Eichmann’s trial is credited with shining a public light on stories of the Holocaust and World War II.

An article published by Jweekly explained the historical significance of the trial as “a milestone in re-examining Germany’s World War II history, coming on the heels of the 1950s, when neither the victims nor the ex-Nazis spoke of the suffering they had borne or inflicted.”

What does an exhibit examining a trial from 1961 have to do with bulletproof glass? It includes hours of film footage of Eichmann sitting inside a bulletproof glass booth, listening to the testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

The Role of Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

Stroll through your house and take a look at any gadget that could conceivable hurt you–the toaster, the TV, even the light sockets–and you’ll find a UL certification sticker indicating that the manufacturer submitted samples to Underwriters Laboratories, the nation’s leading third-party product safety certification agency. UL tests products to confirm that they fit within established safety specifications.  In the case of bullet resistant barriers, that standard is UL 752, “The Standard of Safety for Bullet-Resisting Equipment.”

Bullet Proof Glass Rating Quirks

The chart is self-explanatory–provided that you know that “7.62mm” ammunition is used in an AK-47, “5.56mm” ammo in an M16, and that “.30 calibre rifle lead core soft point” basically means a hunting rifle–but it has its quirks.  Levels 1 through 3 follow a reasonable sequence: A Level 1 system will stop three shots from a 9mm (arguably the world’s most common sidearm).  Level 2 barriers stop three shots from a .357 Magnum–heavier ammunition moving at higher velocity.  Level 3 barriers stop three .44 Magnum bullets (each of which is twice as heavy as a 9mm and moves significantly faster).

The Level 4 Challenge

To pass the Level 4 test, bullet proof glass must stop a shot from a .30-06 hunting rifle.  This might seem easier than the Level 3 test, since it’s just a single bullet that’s lighter than the .44 Magnum. But, the .30 calibre is designed for penetration (important to hunters) and travels 1200 feet per second faster than the .44 Mag.  The Level 4 test is actually harder to pass than Levels 5, 6, or 7.  As Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards explains, that .30-06 bullet “is 180 grains of led moving at 2540 feet per second–you have a tremendous amount of velocity there with a big old piece of lead. Level 5 can be difficult, but still, it’s one shot of a 7.62 [just a touch heavier than a 9mm]; so it’s moving faster, but . . . → Read More: The Bullet Proof Glass Rating System Explained]]> If you’re looking to install bullet proof glass, your first question is going to be “How do I know this will stop a bullet?”

The Role of Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

Stroll through your house and take a look at any gadget that could conceivable hurt you–the toaster, the TV, even the light sockets–and you’ll find a UL certification sticker indicating that the manufacturer submitted samples to Underwriters Laboratories, the nation’s leading third-party product safety certification agency. UL tests products to confirm that they fit within established safety specifications.  In the case of bullet resistant barriers, that standard is UL 752, “The Standard of Safety for Bullet-Resisting Equipment.”

Bullet Proof Glass Rating Quirks

The chart is self-explanatory–provided that you know that “7.62mm” ammunition is used in an AK-47, “5.56mm” ammo in an M16, and that “.30 calibre rifle lead core soft point” basically means a hunting rifle–but it has its quirks.  Levels 1 through 3 follow a reasonable sequence: A Level 1 system will stop three shots from a 9mm (arguably the world’s most common sidearm).  Level 2 barriers stop three shots from a .357 Magnum–heavier ammunition moving at higher velocity.  Level 3 barriers stop three .44 Magnum bullets (each of which is twice as heavy as a 9mm and moves significantly faster).

The Level 4 Challenge

To pass the Level 4 test, bullet proof glass must stop a shot from a .30-06 hunting rifle.  This might seem easier than the Level 3 test, since it’s just a single bullet that’s lighter than the .44 Magnum. But, the .30 calibre is designed for penetration (important to hunters) and travels 1200 feet per second faster than the .44 Mag.  The Level 4 test is actually harder to pass than Levels 5, 6, or 7.  As Total Security Solutions vice president Jim Richards explains, that .30-06 bullet “is 180 grains of led moving at 2540 feet per second–you have a tremendous amount of velocity there with a big old piece of lead. Level 5 can be difficult, but still, it’s one shot of a 7.62 [just a touch heavier than a 9mm]; so it’s moving faster, but it’s a lot lighter.”  A good Level 4 system can often pass the tests for Levels 5, 6, and 7 with little or no modification.  That Level 4 system might even pass the Level 8 test (a five-shot burst from an AK-47).  “It’s not guaranteed,” Jim is quick to point out, “but it’s pretty well established that if you can stop a .30-06, you’re set.”

The Curiously Organized Bullet Proof Ratings

Like many people in the bullet proof industry, Jim is genially perplexed by UL’s system.  Practically speaking, Level 1 bullet proof glass–which will survive three shots form a 9mm–can often provide Level 6 and 7 protection, since Level 6 (the “Uzi test”) is a five-shot burst of that same 9mm ammunition, and most Level 1 systems will withstand more than the minimum three shots required to pass the Level 1 test.  And, although the Level 7 (“M16″) test uses bullets traveling more than twice as fast as the Level 1 and Level 6 tests, those bullets are less than half the weight–M16 bullets are only slightly bigger than the .22s in a boy’s squirrel rifle.  It’s the extremely high speed of these 5.56mm bullets that causes damage in the battlefield, largely through hydrostatic shock, an effect limited to living creatures.

This is the underlying rationale in the seemingly disorganized UL rating system:  It’s not ordered according to the threat to materials, but rather the threat to the humans standing behind those materials.  In practice, M16s and Uzis–with their fast, light rounds–aren’t very dangerous to a piece of bullet proof glass.  But their fully automatic firing capacity is deadly: Battlefield and emergency room records confirm that when humans start shooting at humans, the propensity is to empty the clip.  Conversely, the deer hunting rifle–despite its acrylic-shattering power–is an uncommon personal weapon: It’s a long-barreled rifle designed for accuracy over distance, and difficult to use in the close confines of a gas station or bank.  And semi-automatic .30-06 rifles are rare, while the Uzis, M16s, and AK-47s used for the Level 5 through 8 tests are notorious for their lethal full-auto fire.

Every day, Phil needs replacements for the broken, chipped, and scratched glass that will come from suppliers as near as five miles down the road from his Tampa, Fla. facility. 

To say he was anxious about the level three bulletproof glass that he ordered from Total Security Solutions is an understatement. The ballistics resistant glass, needed for six different courthouses where Phil was a sub-contractor, was a critical element to Phil’ s work.

“ The bullet resistant glass that was required for the courthouse project was unique,” Moreland explained. “ The design and install was potentially tricky, since the glass would be installed around a guard desk as well as a metal detector at the courthouse entrance. Adding to the challenge is that we were working on six different courthouses at the same time. The margin for error was pretty high.”

From the first call that Moreland made to Total Security Solutions, his experience was refreshingly different. “ It’ s not unusual to call a vendor for a quote and not get what you need,” he said. “ It was nearly impossible for me to get the three quotes I needed to bid on this work. I expected Total Security Solutions to be just like everyone else and was surprised to not only get a call back immediately, but to get all of the information I needed for the bid within hours.”

From that initial contact with Total Security Solutions to delivery of the product, Moreland continued to be impressed with his experience. “ When the glass arrived from Total Security Solutions, I was surprised that it was packaged according to location, simplifying the process for my install team,” he said. “ I could sleep easy that night because I knew that everything I needed for the job was in the box from Total Security Solutions. Not one chip, missing part . . . → Read More: Courthouse Bulletproof Project Vendor Wins More Jobs with Total Security Solutions]]> It’ s a good thing that Phil Moreland of Ashe Glass & Mirror, an installer of numerous types of glass, isn’ t the superstitious type. He encounters more broken mirrors and glass daily than most of us will see in our lifetime.

Every day, Phil needs replacements for the broken, chipped, and scratched glass that will come from suppliers as near as five miles down the road from his Tampa, Fla. facility. 

To say he was anxious about the level three bulletproof glass that he ordered from Total Security Solutions is an understatement. The ballistics resistant glass, needed for six different courthouses where Phil was a sub-contractor, was a critical element to Phil’ s work.

“ The bullet resistant glass that was required for the courthouse project was unique,” Moreland explained. “ The design and install was potentially tricky, since the glass would be installed around a guard desk as well as a metal detector at the courthouse entrance. Adding to the challenge is that we were working on six different courthouses at the same time. The margin for error was pretty high.”

From the first call that Moreland made to Total Security Solutions, his experience was refreshingly different. “ It’ s not unusual to call a vendor for a quote and not get what you need,” he said. “ It was nearly impossible for me to get the three quotes I needed to bid on this work. I expected Total Security Solutions to be just like everyone else and was surprised to not only get a call back immediately, but to get all of the information I needed for the bid within hours.”

From that initial contact with Total Security Solutions to delivery of the product, Moreland continued to be impressed with his experience. “ When the glass arrived from Total Security Solutions, I was surprised that it was packaged according to location, simplifying the process for my install team,” he said. “ I could sleep easy that night because I knew that everything I needed for the job was in the box from Total Security Solutions. Not one chip, missing part or any complications got in the way of me delivering a quality product to my customer.”

“I didn’ t have to cut anything or do any alterations whatsoever to the bullet resistant glass that Total Security Solutions sent,” Moreland said. “ Every piece of glass was impeccable.”

“I wish I could order a cup of coffee that would come together as well as the bulletproof glass from Total Security Solutions,” he added. “ I would trust them to send my personal belongings to the moon.”

Moreland is now able to use the courthouse project to sell new contracts. “Having a quality partner on board gives me the confidence to bid on complex projects,” he said. “ Working with Total Security Solutions has improved my business and created new opportunities.”

The bomb-proof vehicle, valued at $235,000, is outfitted with bulletproof glass.  According to published reports, the car also includes GPS tracking and armor plating.

What’s interesting is that the bullet resistant glass used in vehicles like the Prince’s Bentley might be one way, meaning it will stop a bullet from coming into the car, but not stop a bullet from being shot from within the vehicle.

It’s not unusual for dignitaries to ride in vehicles protected by bulletproof glass.  In fact, The Presidential State Car of the United States is outfitted with bulletproof glass.

Founded in 1980 and privately owned, Evans Consoles is the world leader in   the design and manufacturing of custom control room solutions for mission critical and other technology-intensive environments.  Specializing in custom console, millwork and audio-visual enclosure solutions, Evans has built the reputation over the last 30 years of providing quality and service that continues to lead the industry.

About a year ago, Evans Consoles began working with Total Security Solutions.

“Initially, we were doing business with a Total Security Solutions’ competitor,” said Enzo Serpentini, a procurement specialist with Evans Consoles.  “We were dissatisfied by the customer service.”

Evans turned to Total Security Solutions for help with bulletproof glass for new shopping mall-based financial facilities. 

“The first quote came back exceptionally lower than what the competitor was charging, so we gave Total Security Solutions a shot,” Serpentini explained.

The product price was only the beginning of Evans Consoles’ satisfaction with Total Security Solutions.  Even though Evans Consoles delivery timeline were very time sensitive, Total Security Solutions had no problem in meeting project deadline.  Delivering remarkable turn around time, within two weeks, Total Security Solutions had shipped the product.

“Total Security Solutions made Evans Consoles look pretty good because our customer was happy,” Serpentini said.  “We’ve used Total Security Solutions as our bulletproof glass provider since that initial experience.”

“I know that I don’t have to worry when Total Security Solutions is on board,” Serpentini added.  “Once I give Total Security Solutions a purchase order, I can cross it off of my list because I’m confident the job will get done right, on time.  I wouldn’t consider shopping elsewhere.”

A study released Monday by MIT suggests that adding a bulletproof face shield to soldier helmets could reduce the incidence of traumatic brain injuries in combat troops. According to the paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “adding a face shield to the standard-issue helmet worn by the vast majority of U.S. ground troops could significantly reduce traumatic brain injury. The extra protection offered by such a shield is critical because the face is the main pathway through which pressure waves from an explosion are transmitted to the brain.”

MIT reports that “more than half of all combat-related injuries sustained by U.S. troops are the result of explosions, and many of those involve injuries to the head. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, about 130,000 U.S. service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have sustained traumatic brain injuries — ranging from concussion to long-term brain damage and death — as a result of an explosion.”

Other notable G-20 security included six goldfish. The fish were housed in an underground aquarium and were monitored for signs of poisoning.

The G-20, also know as the Group of 20, is comprised of finance ministers and central bank governors from around the world. Economically powerful countries, including the U.S. and Canada, met at the summit to discuss key issues in the global economy.

According to an article published by the SyFy Channel:

Not only is this new super-material stronger than both Kevlar and steel, as far as is known it’s the hardest organic material in existence, ever. It also happens to be completely transparent, printable, easy to manipulate and just as easy (i.e. cheap) to manufacture.

Researchers think there’s a potential for the material to be used in existing materials, including bulletproof glass.

A would-be bank robber in Smyna, Georgia was thwarted by bulletproof glass yesterday. The robbery attempt occurred at a BB&T Bank at around 11 a.m.

According to police, the man was caught on camera handing a bank teller a note demanding money. Fortunately, the area is protected by bulletproof glass.

The man left the bank empty handed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department at 770-499-3945.

Earlier this morning, a police officer from Grand Rapids, Mich. was shot during a standoff. The officer credits his bulletproof vest with saving his life.

More from WSAW on the shoot out.

Custom Metal Products is dedicated to offering the fastest available lead times and the absolute best quality in custom metal doors and frames, supported by a customer service team that is committed to satisfaction. The company takes pride in its work and chooses its partners carefully, based on the quality of work they can deliver.

Total Security Solutions didn’t disappoint: Not only were the deal trays delivered on time and on budget, they were made with the highest quality craftsmanship. Total Security Solutions manufactured the deal trays smaller than the originally specified request – a size smaller than Total Security Solutions’ minimum size — and the company fabricated them at no extra charge.

“Total Security Solutions went above and beyond,” said Kirby. “They delivered custom trays, even though the original specifications were for a standard product. They met the quoted price and the timeline.”

Fabricating a stainless steel deal tray is tricky business. It requires precision welding that won’t blemish the metal, using stainless steel for a deal tray complicates the process: by having to blend the grains in the steel at the miters.

“Our client was extremely happy with the finished product,” Kirby added. “I heard at least three times from one of our in house engineers how beautiful they were. I’ve been working with this engineer for six years, we’ve seen a lot of metal, it’s the first time he’s ever described a product this way. The deal trays completely met their needs.”

The London Daily Mirror reports that, “the Popemobile vehicle was first made famous by Pope John Paul II, who used a modified truck on his first papal visit to his Polish homeland. The current Popemobile is a Mercedes equipped with the latest security measures. The side panels and undercarriage are armored, and a bulletproof glass enclosure has been built on top of an M-class chassis.”

Bulletproof glass and other security measures were put into place after a failed May 1981 assassination attempt by sniper Mehmet Ali Agca on Pope John Paul II, who was shot four times.

Photo courtesy of NPR/ Jason Beaubien

According to NPR’s report, there are 14 armoring companies certified by Mexico’s federal government. A plant engineer at one of the armoring companies explains that armor protection can range from level 1, or basic, to level 5, or advanced:

“Armoring a car, particularly a large SUV, can mean adding more than a ton of steel, thick sheets of Kevlar and 3-inch-thick glass windows. Once you get to Level 4 and Level 5, we upgrade the suspension and in some cases the motor to compensate for the added weight.”

The report also includes reference to lives saved by bulletproof glass: “There have been… recent incidents in which bulletproofing saved lives. In April, gunmen ambushed the state security secretary for Michoacan, Minerva Bautista Gomez. The attackers fired 2,700 rounds into her convoy and ripped apart her Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to investigators. But the car had been bulletproofed and Bautista Gomez survived, though two of her bodyguards and two passing motorists were killed in the ambush.”

A transcript of the original report can be found here.

We weren’t surprised at all to read a recent article about the Secret Service museum’s bullet proof glass protection.  Unwanted visitors to this invite-only facility are kept out by numerous security measures, including a bullet proof reception area.

Leave it to those who know a thing or two about security to trust bullet proof glass to keep their valuables safe!

The Linda Hall Library in Kansas City uses bulletproof glass to protect its collection of 10,000 rare books, including some as old as the 1470s.

Bulletproof glass keeps rare books safe at the Linda Hall Library

In a recent article from the Kansas City Free Press, Emily Ghertner reported: “The biggest “wow” factor at the Linda Hall Library is probably its History of Science Collection, which includes the Rare Book Room, home to first-edition works by the likes of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, as well as some of Einstein’s first publications. Inside the temperature-controlled, bulletproof glass encased vault, are printed books dating from the 15th century-19th century on a variety of topics from zoology and botany to physics and mathematics. There are landmark works by Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Copernicus, and a copy of Galileo’s The Starry Messenger (Sidereus Nuncius), first printed in 1610 with the first published images of the moon as an imperfect body. The spines of old books bare such exotic titles as A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Natural Magick, and Harmonica Macrocosmica.”

Pretty amazing collection, kept safe by bulletproof glass!

Bulletproof glass is awarded for certain jobs in Mafia Wars. You can check out this link to the Mafia Wars Wiki for more info.

Photo by Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

A 20-foot-by-30-foot clear box, Glassphemy! is made of steel and bulletproof glass.  At the art installation, people stand on a high platform and throw recyclable bottles into the glass box.  Observers, who view from platforms circling Glassphemy!, are protected from the flying debris by the box’s bulletproof glass walls.

Glassphemy! is an all-around satisfying experience, according to the New York Times.

“The bottles smash fantastically, artfully designed lights flash, and no one is harmed.”

More info, and a poll where you can vote in support of Bay City utilities department employees, can be found on the Connect Mid Michigan site.  Click through and vote yes!

One of the world’s most famous religious artifacts, the Shroud of Turin, is on display to the public at Turin’s St John the Baptist Cathedral.  Thanks to a protective layer of bulletproof glass, it’s being kept safe while thousands of visitors view it.

The shroud is went on display April 10, its first public display in a decade.   It’s estimated that two million people will view the shroud over the next month.

The Shroud of Turin was discovered in the French city of Troyes, southeast of Paris, in the mid-14th century.  The showing is the first since the shroud was restored in 2002.

While we would love to be able to install every transaction window ourselves, it’s just not economical for either party. Instead Total Security Solutions has came up with a simple three step process for customers to “do it yourself”:

Transaction Window Install Instructions

Bullet proof transaction windows come in UL protection levels 1-3 and several different types (such as the baffle and arched voice port). All of Total Security Solutions transaction windows come with a full installation packet which includes the instructions, hardware, caulk, glass cleaner and towels to clean the glass. For more information on transaction windows visit our website or call 866-930-7807.

As the robots spun at bone crushing 2,500 rotations per minute and rammed each other with razor sharp fenders, observers were safely protected from flying debris, including glass, metal and other hazards, by bulletproof glass.

More than 500 individuals stayed safe behind the glass while 67 teams of high school and middle school students battled it out, robot style.

Video of the competition, shot from behind the bulletproof glass, of course, can be viewed here: Bots IQ 2010 National Competition

Arched Voice Port Bullet Resistant Transaction Window

Starting from the ground up we begin with the counter top that transaction windows often have. The counter top is the foundation for the entire window and they come in two standard forms. The most common counter top material is plastic laminate, which can be provided in a number of different colors. The other is stainless steel. Stainless steel counter tops are often used in exterior applications and upon customer request. After the counter top is constructed then the currency tray must be either cut in or placed on top of the counter to allow money to pass between customers and employees. Most of our currency trays are recessed in to the counter top. Next comes the framing for the transaction window. Attached to the counter top is either a U channel bracket or 2 piece channel to secure the counter and window together along with pieces of 2 piece channel along the sides and top to hold the bullet proof glass in place.

Before the bullet proof glass is put in place the determination of what type of voice transmission needs to be decided. If you have chosen a baffle system, arched voice port or voice around then this is already decided; however other voice port systems are available such as the hole in backer, MK1 and MK2. Now that the counter top, frames and voice transmission system are chosen we move on the most important piece, the Bullet Proof Glass. Most transaction . . . → Read More: The Anatomy of a Bullet Proof Transaction Window]]>  Bullet Proof Transaction Windows are the most common item of protection when it comes to bullet resistant products. At a glance they seem very simple; it’s just a piece of bullet resistant acrylic and some frames right? In theory that would be a good analogy but in actuality there are a lot of components that go in to engineering and ultimately building a transaction window. Depending on if you’re looking at a Baffle System, an Arched Voice Port or a Hole in Backer System the amount of work that goes in to each transaction window to make it secure is anything but simple.

Arched Voice Port Bullet Resistant Transaction Window

Starting from the ground up we begin with the counter top that transaction windows often have. The counter top is the foundation for the entire window and they come in two standard forms. The most common counter top material is plastic laminate, which can be provided in a number of different colors. The other is stainless steel. Stainless steel counter tops are often used in exterior applications and upon customer request. After the counter top is constructed then the currency tray must be either cut in or placed on top of the counter to allow money to pass between customers and employees. Most of our currency trays are recessed in to the counter top. Next comes the framing for the transaction window. Attached to the counter top is either a U channel bracket or 2 piece channel to secure the counter and window together along with pieces of 2 piece channel along the sides and top to hold the bullet proof glass in place.

Before the bullet proof glass is put in place the determination of what type of voice transmission needs to be decided. If you have chosen a baffle system, arched voice port or voice around then this is already decided; however other voice port systems are available such as the hole in backer, MK1 and MK2. Now that the counter top, frames and voice transmission system are chosen we move on the most important piece, the Bullet Proof Glass. Most transaction windows come with a level one bullet resistant 1 ¼” acrylic, however there are many other options for levels of protection. Bullet proof Glass Clad polycarbonate is available in transaction windows from bullet resistant levels 1-3 as well as polycarbonate materials. Level three LP1250 contains two 1/8^th layers of polycarbonate sandwiched around an inch of bullet resistant acrylic. LP1250 offers great transparency along with a high level of protection.

There are many other transaction windows that are available such as bullet proof horizontal sliders and exterior transaction windows that can be installed in your place of business. For more information on transaction windows visit our products section of our website.

Bullet Resistant Barriers

The would be robber was flustered and didn’t know what to do, so burglar took the honorable route (if that’s possible for a bank robber) and turned around then walked out the door. The lawbreaker was found a few hours later after being identified from a missing hubcap on the getaway vehicle. The crook didn’t put up any fight (just like in the bank) and admitted to the crimes immediately. 

This just goes to show that bullet resistant systems can prevent crooks and robbers from turning violent in an environment that has a high volume of customers. Systems such as the secure sound bullet resistant system are available from Total Security Solutions to help employees and customers feel safer in a high risk environment.   

For more information on systems like the secure sound system follow this link for all of your needs.

Read more installation stories from Total Security Solutions.

Banks researching the installation of bullet resistant barriers or bandit barriers have several options that can be retrofitted into their current facility. The Arch Window System is the most common bullet-resistant barrier, but the Baffle Window System offers unobstructed views and maximum voice transmission. Read more about available bullet-resistant barrier systems.

Read “Bank Officials Discuss Safety After At Least Six Bank Robberies,” http://www.statejournal.com.

 “PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG!” is what the thief abruptly told the bank teller through the bullet resistant barrier separating him and her. The teller (while behind the bullet resistant enclosure) noticed that the crook had no weapon on him at all, making the decision to tell the crook that ““We don’t do that here” and turn him away a lot easier on her and her co-workers.

The man, Brian Patrick Marlin, left the bank in anger with no money and no chance of being a free man after this stunt. The police found him later that day just a couple blocks away from the attempted heist, he was charged with attempted bank robbery.

Read: Portland bank employees, confronted by robber, just say no by Bryan Denson clicking by on the title.

“Ahmad told the robbers they had to step away so he could close the door to the enclosure around the register or the drawer would not open. When they stepped outside, he shut the door and locked it, putting himself behind the bullet-proof glass, police said.”

Read “Police: Pair attempting robbery weren’t very smart” by Chip Osowski, http://www2.tbo.com.

Image taken from http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/22/police-pair-attempting-robbery-werent-very-smart/.

Additional resources available for architects, contractors, and other industries include installation videos of a Secure Sound System and Vertical Slider, as well as product demonstration videos of our Natural Voice Transmission Window and Package Passer.

Your bulletproof products will be carefully packaged and shipped to your facility by truck.  Total Security Solutions can begin working shortly after your business closes for the evening or on Saturday so as to minimize the inconvenience to you and your customers. For many installations, we can be in and out within a single night. And we’ll have your facility cleaned up and ready for normal business hours.

Recently, Total Security Solutions launched a channel on YouTube.com to enable customers to watch the bullet resistant barrier installation process firsthand. Currently, we have featured installation videos for our Secure Sound Bulletproof Barrier System and our Vertical Slider.

Read more about our installation process or contact us at info@demandtss.com or 1-800-513-1468.

Read “Inmate who tried to escape pleads guilty” on abclocal.go.com.

In addition to the Natural Voice Transmission Window, Total Security Solutions offers Exterior Transaction Windows, Aluminum Sliding Transaction Windows, and Speak Hole and Backer Transaction Windows. View specifics on available finishes and sizes of all Total Security Solutions’ transaction windows.

Curious about how a Natural Voice Transmission Window works? View a product demonstration of the Natural Voice Transmission window.

Read Total Security Solutions January 2010 newsletter online now.

The Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (MPCA) recently reported an increasing threat from “smash and grab” robberies for local convenience stores. The MPCA issued a list of security tips to help convenience stores prevent this type of robbery. To “help protect your employees and provide security for your property,” convenience stores should consider:

Read additional tips on protecting your convenience store from “smash and grab robberies.”

View an installation video for our newest bulletproof barrier, the Secure Sound System, as well as an installation video of our Vertical Slider System. You can also read more about our planning, production and installation process.

Read “In down times, bank robbers sticking up” by Martin C. Daks, www.njbiz.com.

View the complete 2009 FBI bank crime statistics for first quarter or second quarter.

In addition, electronic locks are used to ensure maximum security. Photo electric eyes, similar to the operation of a garage door, are installed to ensure safe operation. If an object intersects the laser beam of the photo electric eyes, the slider will stop operation immediately.

The Electric Vertical Slider is available in UL Level 1-3 protection and is ideal for convenience stores, fast food outlets, governmental offices, and other high profile/high traffic facilities.

Read “City/County: 1-Stop Domestic Violence Center” by Matt Davis, http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com,

Image taken from http://www.bornrich.org/entry/solitaire-deluxe-watch-winder-another-feather-on-bubenzorweg-s-cap/.

Read “Military wants bulletproof, dimmable windows to protect VIPs” by Mark Rutherford, http://news.cnet.com.

Our California offices provide the same sales and engineering support available in our main headquarters, but are conveniently located to provide onsite assistance. Total Security Solutions employs a full-time installation crew exclusively servicing the California market. Our crew is fully trained and proficient in meeting California building and earthquake requirements.

Total Security Solutions’ full lineup of bullet resistant products, from custom bulletproof glass barriers to quick ship products such as package passers and currency trays, are available to all businesses nationally.

If you are interested in learning more about our bullet resistant barrier installation capabilities in the California market, please contact us at 1-800-513-1468 or info@demandtss.com.

Image taken from bankofamerica.com.

Read “Battle Over Bandit Barriers“  by Michael Wilson, nytimes.com/

A recent article on nytimes.com stated, “Relaxed bank security — often driven by an attempt to create a friendly atmosphere, without barriers between tellers and customers — can attract robbers.” Connecticut can attest to this statement as it has been the target of a series of bank robberies in which the robbers casually entered a bank and handed over a note demanding money to the teller.

The article also comments on a trend toward robberies in the suburbs as opposed to the major cities stating, “Many [. . .] officials point to the casual, open layout of many suburban banks — like the TD Bank branch in Westport — as a possible factor in the trend.”

Read “In Suburbs, Bank Robbers Like the Layout” by Michael Wilson, nytimes.com.

If you have additional questions on what products UL tests, what they test for, or what UL “standards” mean, read an interview with UL’s Director of Consumer Safety.

Read “Speaking with UL consumer safety director John Drengenberg” by Claude Solnik, http://libn.com.

Read “Check Cashing Stores: Urban Blight or Convenience?” wtop.com

The oldest bulletproof barrier is the Baffle Window System. Dating back nearly forty years, this system provides unobstructed views through the use of staggered pieces of bullet-resistant glass and also offers natural voice transmission. The Arch Window System was designed approximately 15 years ago to update the Baffle Window concept and improve voice communication.  The Secure Sound System wasn’t developed until four or five years ago and enhances voice communication even further.

Ultimately, a bank or credit union’s bullet resistant barrier selection is based on personal preference. Each barrier system offers a slightly different architectural appeal enabling financial institutions to customize their facility.

“It happens all the time. It’s not something that happens once in a blue moon,” Ali Zaidi said of the trend in robberies at stores such as his.

Some convenience stores, however, are taking steps to safeguard their employees by installing bullet resistant barriers. The most commonly used barriers for convenience stores are horizontal or vertical sliders. Providing UL Level 1-3 security, these bulletproof barrier systems can be customized to provide different levels of security at different times of day.

Read “Too Often, Convenience Store Clerks in Danger” by Carl Lewis, www.macon.com.

The government used its first armored car in 1941 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After fear of a presidential assassination following Roosevelt’s “Infamy Speech,” the Secret Service used Al Capone’s recently confiscated 1928 Cadillac to transport the president. Capone had outfit the vehicle with “3,000 pounds of bulletproof armor beneath the standard body” and painted it to replicate the existing government vehicles. Read more about Al Capone’s bulletproof car and why the government couldn’t afford to purchase its own. (Image on right taken from FederalTimes.com)

How does one-way bulletproof glass work?

One-way bulletproof glass is composed of two layers. The outside layer – on the threat side – is made of a brittle glass and the inside layer is a flexible polycarbonate. A bullet that strikes the brittle external layer first causes the glass to break inward toward the polycarbonate layer. The glass breaking absorbs some of the bullet’s energy by spreading the force over a larger area and the flexible polycarbonate stops the bullet.

Bullets shot from the inside of an armored car are able to penetrate the bulletproof glass because they strike the polycarbonate layer first with more focused energy. The brittle glass layer then breaks outward allowing the bullet to pass through with minor energy loss.

The author stated, “‘Why wouldn’t shipping companies do more to protect themselves against Somali pirates?’ [ . . . ] it was cheaper for the companies to pay the ransom than to take precautions against kidnapping.” He went on to say, however, that just as the pirates will keep pirating, bank robberies will continue to occur until banks do something to prevent them.

The shipping companies may not be taking precautions to protect against pirates, but some wealthy yacht owners certainly are. As fears rise over the potential for pirate attacks, “hidden chambers, escape pods, tracking devices and ex-marines employed as security guards have all risen in popularity.”

Read the full article on how “Wealthy Arm Their Yachts with Military-Level Security” by Anouk Lorie, CNN.com.

The idea of tempered glass was first discovered by Prince Rupert of the Rhine, when he dropped hot molten glass into cold water. The glass rapidly cools but only on the surface, creating a shell for the hotter glass contained inside. As the inside cools, it contracts against the already hardened exterior creating a compressed chamber and making the glass substantially more durable. This lends itself to high impact resistance.

The idea of laminated glass evolved from another accident. This time, by the French chemist Edouard Benedictus in 1903. While working in his lab, Benedictus accidentally dropped a beaker that was coated in plastic cellulose nitrate. He noticed when the beaker hit the ground it cracked, but did not split apart in pieces.

Benedictus went on to register the first safety glass patent in 1909 after bonding a piece of plastic cellulose between two sheets of glass. Using Prince Rupert’s method of immediately chilling the glass, the safety glass becomes much stronger and if it does crack, it will not shatter.

Today, there are two types of bullet resistant glass: solid acrylic or laminated polycarbonate. Solid acrylic is just as its name suggests – a solid sheet of acrylic either 1-1/4” or 1-3/8” thick depending on the level of protection required. Laminated polycarbonate is made by layering polycarbonate, a heavy-duty clear plastic, between two sheets of glass and laminating it all together. It can be ¾”, 1” or 1-1/4” thick depending on the level of protection. While a bullet will pierce the exterior glass layer of laminated polycarbonate, the inner layers absorb the bullet’s energy stopping it from penetrating through the entire piece of glass.

Read “Rogers Man Admits to Robberies” by John Henley Jr., NWAOnline.net.

Read more interesting facts about the Declaration of Independence and enjoy your holiday weekend!

“Bulletproof fortifications around tellers in banks — known as “bandit barriers” [. . .] — have pitted banks and the police against each other in a policy argument over safety, expense and businesses’ rights to manage their own security.”

Read “Banks and Police Clash Over Proposal for Bulletproof Barriers” by Dominick Tao, The New York Times.

By Frank Lombardi

Bank stickups will be the talk of City Hall on Monday.

With the backing of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the City Council is moving ahead with a bill to mandate that all 1,698 bank branches in the city erect “bandit barriers” around their tellers.

The bill specifies that bullet resistant barriers or partitions be installed to prevent individuals from getting access “to the protected area where the tellers transact business.”

Failure to erect such barriers will carry a fine of up to $1,500 for each violation, plus an additional fine of as much as $1,500 if the violation isn’t corrected and a $1,000 fine for each day the violation goes uncorrected.

Many banks do have such barriers, but the tougher ballistic standards required in the bill might force them to build new ones.

Banking industry officials will get a chance to sound off at a public hearing this morning being held at City Hall by the Council’s Public Safety Committee.

The bill was prompted by a 26% spike in bank robberies during the first quarter of this year, on top of the 57% increase in robberies last year over the prior year.

However, industry officials report that the robbery rate has fallen since March. A total of 135 robberies were reported through June 23, compared with 192 for the same period last year – a drop of 30%.

In the past, Kelly has expressed special concern about the bank branches now owned by TD Bank, which acquired Commerce Bank last year. The 73 TD/Commerce Bank branches around the city were hit by robbers 46 times last year.

None of the TD Bank branches have bandit barriers; the lack of them is intended to give customers a more inviting atmosphere.

Lawrence Sherman, a criminologist who is a consultant for TD Bank, said, “Not one customer or employee has been injured in the course of a robbery” at any TD/Commerce branch in the city since they began operating in 2001.

But the bill’s main sponsor, Councilman Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx), blasted TD Bank’s lack of barriers, saying: “Chase branches all have . . . → Read More: Banking on bandit barriers: Bill would make them mandatory in city]]> Taken from nydailynews.com.

By Frank Lombardi

Bank stickups will be the talk of City Hall on Monday.

With the backing of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the City Council is moving ahead with a bill to mandate that all 1,698 bank branches in the city erect “bandit barriers” around their tellers.

The bill specifies that bullet resistant barriers or partitions be installed to prevent individuals from getting access “to the protected area where the tellers transact business.”

Failure to erect such barriers will carry a fine of up to $1,500 for each violation, plus an additional fine of as much as $1,500 if the violation isn’t corrected and a $1,000 fine for each day the violation goes uncorrected.

Many banks do have such barriers, but the tougher ballistic standards required in the bill might force them to build new ones.

Banking industry officials will get a chance to sound off at a public hearing this morning being held at City Hall by the Council’s Public Safety Committee.

The bill was prompted by a 26% spike in bank robberies during the first quarter of this year, on top of the 57% increase in robberies last year over the prior year.

However, industry officials report that the robbery rate has fallen since March. A total of 135 robberies were reported through June 23, compared with 192 for the same period last year – a drop of 30%.

In the past, Kelly has expressed special concern about the bank branches now owned by TD Bank, which acquired Commerce Bank last year. The 73 TD/Commerce Bank branches around the city were hit by robbers 46 times last year.

None of the TD Bank branches have bandit barriers; the lack of them is intended to give customers a more inviting atmosphere.

Lawrence Sherman, a criminologist who is a consultant for TD Bank, said, “Not one customer or employee has been injured in the course of a robbery” at any TD/Commerce branch in the city since they began operating in 2001.

But the bill’s main sponsor, Councilman Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx), blasted TD Bank’s lack of barriers, saying: “Chase branches all have the barriers; so do Citibank’s. It’s crazy they are so adamant” about not having them.

Taken from LansingCityPulse.com.

By Angela Vasquez-Giroux; published Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

An East Lansing prosecutor has declined to press assault charges against a Lansing City Council gadfly after an altercation with a Councilwoman last month, but efforts to beef up security at Lansing City Council meetings are ongoing.

Third Ward Councilwoman A’Lynne Robinson was involved in an altercation with Charlene Decker, one of Robinson’s constituents, after a May 28 Council Committee of the Whole meeting. Robinson sought an assault charge claiming that what started as an argument over public comment rights ended in a physical altercation.

“After reading the police report and conferring with the victim, I did not issue assault or assault and battery charges, simply because the touching did not appear to be intentional,” Tom Yeadon, an East Lansing prosecutor, said.

Robinson had accused Decker of grabbing her finger, which allegedly happened as Robinson swatted Decker´s finger away as Decker pointed it in her face. Lansing City Attorney Brig Smith was a witness to the incident, which is why Yeadon was given jurisdiction over the case.

While Yeadon was determining whether to file charges, Robinson held a meeting with City Clerk Chris Swope, Lansing Police Department Capt. Edward Forrest, Council administrative assistant Therese Horn and Smith.

The outcome was a list of suggestions, like locking doors and holding all meetings in Council chambers.

But loftier suggestions would have the saloon-style doors that separate Council from the audience fitted with electronic locks controlled by the Council president. Earlier this year, Lansing resident Barry Schiffer kicked open those doors and angrily approached Council after a profane tirade — including talking about is AK-47 — that ended with him being subdued by police.

Other ideas include adding bulletproof glass to the barrier separating the audience from the Council and installing cameras in stairwells and other areas around Council chambers.

First Ward Councilman Eric Hewitt says that he doesn´t think safety is an issue and wondered aloud about the cost of the safety measures.

Robinson, however, feels the security . . . → Read More: Bullet proof]]> New security measures discussed for City Hall following a scrap between a Councilwoman and a Council “regular.”

Taken from LansingCityPulse.com.

By Angela Vasquez-Giroux; published Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

An East Lansing prosecutor has declined to press assault charges against a Lansing City Council gadfly after an altercation with a Councilwoman last month, but efforts to beef up security at Lansing City Council meetings are ongoing.

Third Ward Councilwoman A’Lynne Robinson was involved in an altercation with Charlene Decker, one of Robinson’s constituents, after a May 28 Council Committee of the Whole meeting. Robinson sought an assault charge claiming that what started as an argument over public comment rights ended in a physical altercation.

“After reading the police report and conferring with the victim, I did not issue assault or assault and battery charges, simply because the touching did not appear to be intentional,” Tom Yeadon, an East Lansing prosecutor, said.

Robinson had accused Decker of grabbing her finger, which allegedly happened as Robinson swatted Decker´s finger away as Decker pointed it in her face. Lansing City Attorney Brig Smith was a witness to the incident, which is why Yeadon was given jurisdiction over the case.

While Yeadon was determining whether to file charges, Robinson held a meeting with City Clerk Chris Swope, Lansing Police Department Capt. Edward Forrest, Council administrative assistant Therese Horn and Smith.

The outcome was a list of suggestions, like locking doors and holding all meetings in Council chambers.

But loftier suggestions would have the saloon-style doors that separate Council from the audience fitted with electronic locks controlled by the Council president. Earlier this year, Lansing resident Barry Schiffer kicked open those doors and angrily approached Council after a profane tirade — including talking about is AK-47 — that ended with him being subdued by police.

Other ideas include adding bulletproof glass to the barrier separating the audience from the Council and installing cameras in stairwells and other areas around Council chambers.

First Ward Councilman Eric Hewitt says that he doesn´t think safety is an issue and wondered aloud about the cost of the safety measures.

Robinson, however, feels the security is necessary. For Robinson, the direct access to Council by the public is a concern. Rules were changed recently so that members of the public are no longer able to access the hallways behind Council chambers.

The escalation in incidents over the past six months has shown a need for increased safety measures, Robinson said.

“I don´t know that state legislators have been threatened with AK-47s, or called racial epithets,” she said after being informed that there is less security in some state buildings. “We have.”

A U.S. House subcommittee has approved $3.5 million for security improvements at Redstone Arsenal’s Gate 7 entrance on Martin Road, according to U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith.

The money – included in the Pentagon’s 2010 construction budget – will be used to build a guard house, canopy, guard booths and a covered vehicle inspection station. Anti-terrorist protections measures, including security lighting, bullet resistant glass at the guard house and booths, among other upgrades, are also included in the cost.

The project must now be approved by the House Appropriations Committee for Military Construction and the full House and signed by the president.

In addition, we provided bulletproof wood doors, which are made of plastic laminate or wood veneer over fiberglass bullet-resistant sheathing, with or without vision windows.

The TSS-MK1 Talk Thru can be integrated into a variety of bullet proof barriers in which voice communication is important, such as bullet resistant transaction windows or bullet proof walk-up windows commonly found in banks or convenience stores.

Due to Total Security Solutions’ in-house manufacturing capabilities, the TSS-MK1 Talk Thru is available at a siginificantly reduced cost in comparison to other similar bullet proof products. To order the TSS-MK1 Talk Thru, call 1-800-513-1468 or email info@demandtss.com.

Jim Richards, the Vice President of Total Security Solutions, spent Monday, May 18th showing the Modern Marvels crew around their facility and walking them through the bullet proof glass barrier manufacturing process. Jim discussed the most common bullet resistant barriers, including arch window and baffle window systems.

Total Security Solutions also demonstrated how a bullet resistant barrier system goes from a single sheet of bullet resistant transparency – either acrylic, polycarbonate, glass-clad polycarbonate or bullet proof glass – to a complete bullet resistant barrier. Using a computer-driven manufacturing process, Total Security Solutions is able to take a precise architectural CAD drawing and output all the required system components to their exact specifications.

Modern Marvels focuses on technology, the history behind it, and how it is used in today’s society. The bank security episode is scheduled to air in October/November 2009.

By: The Editors, Dolores and Dave Barr

Just 10 days after it was robbed earlier this month, the Wachovia Bank in the Towne Center shopping area at 12310 Seal Beach Blvd. was robbed again this past Friday. This is the third robbery of a Seal Beach Wachovia Bank and the fifth West Orange County bank robbery this year. Unlike the other 2 Wachovia robberies, this time, the suspect did not use a bicycle to escape.

In addition to the 3 robberies at Wachovia Banks, there has been one at the Bank Of America in Los Alamitos, and one at the Washington Mutual in Seal Beach. The FBI arrested Brian Keith Robinson, 49, of Los Angeles, in connection with the January 10 robbery of the Seal Beach Washington Mutual bank. The other suspects remain at large.

On Friday, May 15, 2009 the Seal Beach Police Department received a call via the emergency 911 system which indicated the Wachovia Bank located in the Towne Center shopping area had just been robbed. Responding Officers contacted employees of the bank and found that a male subject had entered the bank and walked to a teller window, presented a note and demanded money. The suspect then ran southbound through the parking lot, out of sight.

The robbery suspect is described as a male black in his 30’s with a medium complexion, a bushy moustache, 5-8 in height, having a muscular build. The suspect was wearing a light “hoodie” sweat shirt, a dark golfer’s type of cap, with dark knee length pants and dark shoes.

There was no weapon seen and the suspect was last seen on foot. The loss was an undetermined amount of cash. Anyone that may have additional information is requested to contact Detective Gary Krogman at the Seal Beach Police Department (562) 799-4100 extension 1108.

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By: Al Baker

One bank robber is aggressive. He always waves a black or silver pistol. He often pulls a scarf over his face and shouts orders to the tellers.

Robbing a bank with partial “bandit barriers,” the thief passed a note and got cash, the police say.

Five days later, at a bank without barriers, the police say, the thief again used a note and got cash.

The other is more passive. He passes notes across the counter and walks away if rebuffed. He wears a hat and glasses and strikes mostly late in the day.

The police say these two men have hit bank branches 24 times in New York City this year, and are largely why the number of bank robberies, after surging last year, is on track to be even higher in 2009.

“We’ll get them,” said Deputy Inspector Charles P. Neacy, sitting at 1 Police Plaza with files on the two robbers in his hands. “As they keep doing them, we are able to pick up additional evidence, whatever it might be.”

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly has expressed concern over the frequency of bank robberies and the seeming ease in carrying them out, particularly at certain branches. He met in January with executives of major banks to push a set of “best practices” for security that were developed in 2003, during the last wave of robberies. Inspector Neacy, who commands the Major Case Squad, has followed up with branch managers.

Now, in the face of a surge, Mr. Kelly said he might push for a city law first contemplated six years ago to require dividers of reinforced glass between customers and tellers, along with other measures he believes would help deter the crimes and lead to more arrests.

He said that he was happy with the cooperation he was getting from most banks, but that he had met some resistance from TD Bank, which detectives say is vulnerable because of an environment bank officials see as more inviting than daunting, with open counters and no partitions. “I am not satisfied with their response,” the commissioner . . . → Read More: Police Stress Deterrence Measures as Bank Robberies Surge in the City]]> Taken from NYTimes.com.

By: Al Baker

One bank robber is aggressive. He always waves a black or silver pistol. He often pulls a scarf over his face and shouts orders to the tellers.

Robbing a bank with partial “bandit barriers,” the thief passed a note and got cash, the police say.

Five days later, at a bank without barriers, the police say, the thief again used a note and got cash.

The other is more passive. He passes notes across the counter and walks away if rebuffed. He wears a hat and glasses and strikes mostly late in the day.

The police say these two men have hit bank branches 24 times in New York City this year, and are largely why the number of bank robberies, after surging last year, is on track to be even higher in 2009.

“We’ll get them,” said Deputy Inspector Charles P. Neacy, sitting at 1 Police Plaza with files on the two robbers in his hands. “As they keep doing them, we are able to pick up additional evidence, whatever it might be.”

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly has expressed concern over the frequency of bank robberies and the seeming ease in carrying them out, particularly at certain branches. He met in January with executives of major banks to push a set of “best practices” for security that were developed in 2003, during the last wave of robberies. Inspector Neacy, who commands the Major Case Squad, has followed up with branch managers.

Now, in the face of a surge, Mr. Kelly said he might push for a city law first contemplated six years ago to require dividers of reinforced glass between customers and tellers, along with other measures he believes would help deter the crimes and lead to more arrests.

He said that he was happy with the cooperation he was getting from most banks, but that he had met some resistance from TD Bank, which detectives say is vulnerable because of an environment bank officials see as more inviting than daunting, with open counters and no partitions. “I am not satisfied with their response,” the commissioner said of his talks with TD, which bought Commerce Bank last year.

Rebecca Acevedo, a bank spokeswoman, said TD followed most safety recommendations but eschewed “bandit barriers” because studies showed that they heightened chances for danger.

“We believe the bandit barriers place customers and employees at risk because they cannot all be behind the barriers,” she said. “So that means it increases the likelihood that a customer or employee could be subject to violence or used as a hostage.”

Besides barriers, the police want banks to use guards or greeters — TD branches do this — who might deter would-be criminals by their presence. They also want banks to use dye packs when filling bags with cash, to put height markers by doorways to determine heights of suspects, and to have countertops on which a robber can leave fingerprints.

Michael P. Smith, the president of the New York Bankers Association, a group that represents commercial banks and thrift institutions in the state, including 1,600 branches in the city, said he would prefer that banks tailor their own security plans rather than have blanket directives foisted upon them by law.

“There is a difference of opinion in security, from a consumption standpoint and a law enforcement standpoint, about whether bandit barriers provide a deterrent,” he said. “Our view is that every possible security procedure should be explored, and I know that the individual banks that have been mentioned, that don’t have bandit barriers, are having conversations with the department to either put in bandit barriers or make other security enhancements.”

The police say that banks with barriers do get robbed, but that their data shows it happens less often than at banks with no barriers. For instance, TD Bank has one of the highest instances of being robbed: This year, there have been 11 robberies among its 69 branches, while there have been 6 among Chase’s 275 branches.

To make the point, Inspector Neacy said that the note-passing thief tried to hit three Chase branches on March 2, before giving up because at each branch a teller — behind bullet-resistant glass — walked away. The suspect then went to a TD Bank with no bandit barriers. “He passes a note and gets cash,” he said.

Last year, banks were robbed 444 times in the city, more than one robbery for each day — and a 57 percent increase over 2007. The police figures reflect all holdups, regardless of whether a suspect left with cash.

This year, bank robberies through March 11 increased to 80 from 54 in the same period last year. More often than not, the thief is caught; since Jan. 1, the police have made arrests in 65 cases, though some were for robberies that occurred before 2009.

Surveillance video and other clues have led officers to believe that the same gun-wielding man has robbed bank branches 11 times and the note-passer 13. All but one of those robberies were in Manhattan.

The note-passer has struck between 4 and 5:30 p.m., entering a bank and producing a note that states he has a gun and wants money. Twice, he hit the same HSBC branch at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street.

Once, in an apparent slip-up, he passed a blank piece of paper, prompting the teller to say, “What’s this?” He left. The police described him as white, about 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet, and 160 to 190 pounds.

The second suspect is intimidating and persistent. “If one teller refuses, he’ll go to another,” said David Caskey, the bank robbery coordinator for the F.B.I. and Police Department’s Joint Bank Robbery Task Force, formed in 1979.

That man usually walks in wearing a hat and gloves, pulls a scarf over his face and waves a gun. He is black, in his mid-30s, 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4, and 195 to 225 pounds.

When the police arrest suspects, detectives ask them about their methods and why they pick the banks they do.

“What they tell us is they’re looking for the easy hits,” Inspector Neacy said.

Bank robbery suspects trade information in jail about easy marks, he said, and jail guards at Rikers Island have even found notes that inmates wrote to teach other inmates how to do it.

“They were practicing,” Inspector Neacy said.

By: Alison Gendar

Bandits have hit TD Bank branches 11 times this year – prompting the NYPD to send management a warning letter saying its banks are the most vulnerable in the city.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly wanted TD, which took over Commerce Bank, to beef up security.

“It is simply unacceptable to put business decisions before public safety,” Kelly wrote.

As if to prove Kelly’s point, a prolific thief successfully robbed $1,000 from a TD branch on Ninth Ave. Monday – after being rebuffed at three Chase branches.

The difference between the two banks: Chase tellers work behind protective barriers; TD’s transactions are in the open.

This same thief is wanted in 12 bank robberies in Manhattan since Jan. 26, police said.

Such repeat offenders are why heists at all banks jumped 57% last year and are up 26% through March 1 this year. TD, which has 69 city branches, accounted for 17% of the robberies this year.

Arrests are also up – 88% – but Kelly and the NYPD’s major case squad have launched a campaign to deter holdups by getting banks to redesign branches that look more like living rooms than places to safeguard cash.

The NYPD wants barriers in front of teller’s windows, eye-level cameras and countertops designed to leave clear fingerprints – and sources said Kelly might ask the City Council to mandate some security measures.

If banks don’t comply, the NYPD will push legislation requiring bandit barriers, high-ranking police sources said.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Capital One have started retooling security. TD has made no promises.

“We don’t believe saying that we have a disproportionate amount of robberies is a fair portrayal of us,” TD spokeswoman Rebecca Acevedo said.

Chase installed imposing teller barriers, new counters and eye-level cameras at its bandit-prone 355 Lexington Ave. branch. Similar changes are planned for its other WaMu branches.

In 2008, 21 of Wachovia’s 24 branches were robbed. Wachovia’s new owners, Wells Fargo, lost no time this year to revamp two branches. Capital One has put in bid to install so-called bandit barriers.

Anyone with information in regard . . . → Read More: Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly tells TD Bank to put public safety first after heists]]> Taken from nydailynews.com.

By: Alison Gendar

Bandits have hit TD Bank branches 11 times this year – prompting the NYPD to send management a warning letter saying its banks are the most vulnerable in the city.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly wanted TD, which took over Commerce Bank, to beef up security.

“It is simply unacceptable to put business decisions before public safety,” Kelly wrote.

As if to prove Kelly’s point, a prolific thief successfully robbed $1,000 from a TD branch on Ninth Ave. Monday – after being rebuffed at three Chase branches.

The difference between the two banks: Chase tellers work behind protective barriers; TD’s transactions are in the open.

This same thief is wanted in 12 bank robberies in Manhattan since Jan. 26, police said.

Such repeat offenders are why heists at all banks jumped 57% last year and are up 26% through March 1 this year. TD, which has 69 city branches, accounted for 17% of the robberies this year.

Arrests are also up – 88% – but Kelly and the NYPD’s major case squad have launched a campaign to deter holdups by getting banks to redesign branches that look more like living rooms than places to safeguard cash.

The NYPD wants barriers in front of teller’s windows, eye-level cameras and countertops designed to leave clear fingerprints – and sources said Kelly might ask the City Council to mandate some security measures.

If banks don’t comply, the NYPD will push legislation requiring bandit barriers, high-ranking police sources said.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Capital One have started retooling security. TD has made no promises.

“We don’t believe saying that we have a disproportionate amount of robberies is a fair portrayal of us,” TD spokeswoman Rebecca Acevedo said.

Chase installed imposing teller barriers, new counters and eye-level cameras at its bandit-prone 355 Lexington Ave. branch. Similar changes are planned for its other WaMu branches.

In 2008, 21 of Wachovia’s 24 branches were robbed. Wachovia’s new owners, Wells Fargo, lost no time this year to revamp two branches. Capital One has put in bid to install so-called bandit barriers.

Anyone with information in regard to these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).