When Stan Orlowski woke up just after 3:30 a.m. last night to noise outside on the street, little did he expect to see three men attempting to steal the ATM from the Alberta Treasury Branch building on 50th Street in Onoway.
Orlowski had been alerted to movement outside his home moments earlier by his security cameras, which capture the entire street stretching from the Onoway Hotel to the old Home Hardware across from the CIBC bank. His early warning detection system tipped him off that something was odd in the area, a suspicion confirmed when he heard several loud crashes and bangs out front at the bank.
Opening his front door, he saw two trucks: a larger white Dodge pickup and a smaller truck, likely a Dodge Dakota, either dark blue or black, parked in front of the bank. Instinctively, he began yelling at the three men to get away from the bank. The men jumped into their vehicles and immediately fled the scene, speeding off into the night.
Orlowski called 911, and RCMP officers were dispatched to the scene. Orlowski assisted the responding officer, who arrived approximately half an hour after the call, in gaining access to the branch. There is no word yet on whether the suspects have been apprehended, but thanks to the advanced video surveillance system Stan installed a few months ago, police have footage of the suspects and their vehicles.
ATM Thefts on the Rise Across the Province
ATM theft has been an ongoing problem for more than a decade as thieves become increasingly brazen in their attempts to steal cash-loaded machines. While most, if not all, ATMs are heavily secured to the floor or walls, criminals often use chains attached to a four-wheel drive pickup truck trailer hitch or bumper to rip the machines from their foundations.
It is not uncommon for an active ATM to contain $20,000 in cash, and machines in larger communities with higher traffic can hold as much as $100,000, making them an attractive target for criminals.
Critics Call for Stiffer Penalties for Would-Be ATM Thieves
The penalties for ATM theft are relatively minor considering the potential amount of money stolen. In most cases, thieves are charged with Theft Over $5,000, Possession of Stolen Property Over $5,000, and Break and Enter. By contrast, robbing the same bank would result in far more serious charges with mandatory sentences, potentially leading to life in prison.
The growing trend of ATM thefts has led many business owners to reconsider having these machines on their property. The high risk of storing large amounts of cash in ATMs has also contributed to the continued closure of banks in smaller communities over the past decade.
