Have any of you had any robbery incidents?

A man and woman bought tickets, then near the end of the last show of the night, made all the employees get into the chainlink wire cage-type area where all the money is counted, and took off with the receipts.

The person waited until after the theatre was closed and robbed the manager and one other employee of the nights boxoffice receipts. The manager was shot dead in the parking lot.

Yes. It is very scarey, indeed. It happened to me in 1984, almost identical to the way the Huntsville Times wrote. It was a time I would rather forget, but from time to time, I do think of it.

I think I made a post somewhere about it on Film-Tech, but I don't remember where.

In addition to the memories of the robbery itself and danger to my employees, I have some positively vitrolic memories of how piss-poor the head of the circuit handled it. I'll always remember that response, right down to the exact words used. As it was, his kharma caught up with him a few years back, and besides, after seven years we are supposed to forgive all transgressions for our own well being. Someday, maybe he'll become a man and offer a proper apology, preferably in writing.

I've also had to go in immediately after robberies to evaluate the situation and counsel managers and employees. Robberies suck, and it doesn't help that there is often an insider on the staff that helps in the planning.

BTW, yes Bob, I did keep my composure during and after the robbery at my theatre. I was much more worried about the kids on the staff than anything else. I couldn't have lived with myself if any of them had been hurt. Funny thing is, it wasn't anything I thought about before that time, but once the situation was in progress, it was all I could think about. That was a helluva a lot different attitude than the circuit head had after the incident.

The police never caught the guy, but did start ticketing us when we parked in our front driveway to do the drops (something about fire lane...blah blah blah). Finnally the powers that be switched to all armored car deposits. Robberies still happen though. The most recent was in one of our Los Angeles theatres; gun + violence = a small amount of money in relation to the risk involved. Stpid theives.

Then there's the thieves from within....

We don't have any policy on this yet. We do have a video camera system aimed at the front doors and on the concession area, and have a security system installed.

What does everyone have for policy in a robbery situation?

And, of course, the van driver got nailed for all of this. The corporate powers that be wouldn't dare stand up for the guy because they couldn't endorse his actions. I can't remember how much money was involved, but it couldn't have been worth it to the guy in the van nor the guy who got killed. However, I never heard another story about that theatre getting robbed.

Rape and pillage the document as you like, but keep in mind that this was written for a specific theater and I will claim no liability for its use outside of that complex. Names have been changed or removed to protect the innocent and stupid.

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Oh, and I wasn't real fond of the bomb threat part, but that was shoved down my throat by the company.

Robbers don't like to be surprised and they don't like to be stuck in traffic or public view. (For many years the only places open with money at night when there was no traffic were theatres and truck stops. Since many truckers carry guns, theatres were the easy target.)

After those two cardinal rules, there are other things that work with varying degrees of effectiveness. Color video cameras are cheap and give much better definition than the original black & white security cameras. Having security cameras and tape of each night is a deterrant. If you use these, get 14 tapes, label them for each day of the week, and rotate them. While you might not catch the robber on tape during the act, chances are real good that they cased the theatre within the past two weeks. A clear color image can give cops clues, and pointing to an image of the robber is much more effective than trying to describe the person using the computer or acetate composite kits.

The video recorder must be hidden and preferrably in the booth away from money and behind a locked door. (Most states don't allow you to record sound. Check with the cops or state attorney.) Stick a junker tape recorder in the office for the employees to look at and the robber to rip the tape out of. Put a camera surveilling the entire area around the office door and a tv inside to see who is standing at the door bfore opening it. Peepholes are worthless, since robbers will grab an employee and stick them in front of the peephole. (This is what happened to me.)

An alarm on the safe, office door and a panic switch can help. This requires monitoring and remembering, but can be a deterrant.

*No deposits after dark. General Cinema used to be one of the dumbest circuits on this. GCC policy required a bank drop after every set of shows started or if there was more than X amount of funds. At the same time, the house safes routinely contained thousands in change and petty cash. Supposedly two people were required to open the safe (inner and outer doors). Statistically, any night drop robber was more likely to encounter a GCC manager than anyone else, and employees could come close to setting their watches to the times that managers "stepped outside." The large amounts in the safe made a tempting target as well, and frustrated robbers, who don't think a manager is telling the truth when he says he can't open the inner safe, are no laughing matter. I still remember the bullet holes that remained in the Charlottetown office from some earlier robbery attempt.

Timelock safes in the lobby with armoured car pickup are very secure. Quickie-marts use these with good reason. After any second robbery within a year's time, it is time to put one of these in. Be wary of the armoured car services though. These had a big drop in reliability a few years back, and the big name services may no longer be the best.

Slight of hand tricks to keep the apparent amount of money down can work surprisingly well. Money in an inside jacket pocket is a less visible draw than money in a bag. A briefcase or paper lunch sack is less obvious than a deposit bag. Putting a deposit bag ready for a drop into the safe may be less safe than sticking it in the back of a locked file cabinet under some papers. Going to the bank at odd hours is less obvious than setting any particular pattern. If a night drop must be made, a dummy paper deposit or multiple bags can prevent a bank drop robber from getting huge amounts. Successful large robberies spur more. Don't brag about big deposits or huge weekend grosses.

During the event, do whatever the robber wants except getting into a car. If it is a night drop, yell "Here! Its yours! Take it! I'm outa here." Toss the bag as far as you can in one direction and run in the opposite direction or duck down in the car and put it in reverse. Don't worry about dents.

If a robbery occurs, NEVER give the figure of the exact amount stolen to the police in the first 48 hours, even if the detective hounds you. Police reports are routinely picked up by newspapers and the amout of the theft will be spread out for all to see. Your correct response is "The amount has to be determined after an audit by our head office. Please note 'undetermined amount' on your report and we will inform you later. I cannot guess at the amount." You must be willing to push the police and state attorney for prosecution. Theatre robberies aren't big events in today's world. If you can tell employees that the last guy who tried to rob you got put away for X years, it is a strong deterrent. I can think of other things, but that gives a general drift of what to do.

FWIW, circuits have done draconian things to the employee victims of robbers in the past. If you happen to work for a circuit and are robbed, contact a competant attorney to find out if you have any rights. "Right to work" laws can effectively strip you of most of your rights. If you think your circuit is not handling the robbery, _where your life was in danger_, properly and professionally, then find a new employer.

I feel a rant coming on, so I'll stop here.

OK, coming back after cooling down a little. How to minimize the effect on employees and management: Be pro-active. Push the cops and make sure employees know that you are seeking the culprits. Regarding interviews of employees by investigators: The interviews immediately after the robbery are an important part of police work. Delayed interviews and secondary interviews often border on harrasment. Limit those. It is entirely possible that an employee may be involved in the setup of a robbery, but good employees don't take lightly to the pointed questions and near accusations of some investigators used by the police or the circuit. Placing an undercover agent on staff after a robbery is probably a much more effective way of gathering information than grilling or polygraphs of already traumetized employees ready to quit.

I know of one good manager that flat-out quit and moved out of state after requests by an employer to polygraph him after a robbery. Reflecting on that, I would probably have done the same. If a company doesn't have the trust in a manager during a robbery, when that person is operating as the agent of the company under the greatest strain possible, then the company is not one to be involved with.

Employees and managers that have been physically assaulted need at least the offer of free professional counseling. Obviously, medical bills and lost wages need to be covered in full. While wage replacement may not be required by law, it is the only moral thing to do.

Some more pointers:

1. Establish a good relationship with local law enforcement. If possible, get a few off duty police to work security for you on weekends. This gains two results for you. First, potential robbers will see the cops when casing the theatre, and will likely make them choose another target. Second, if an incident does occur, the police will have a personal stake in solving the case.

2. Have all employees keeping an eye out for suspcious persons.. A lot of robbers will case the place before they rob it. If a staff member notices them doing this, and makes contact with them (a simple "May I help you"), they will likely move onto an easier target..

Back in the early 60's I was working as a manager of the Newsreel Theatre in Times Square. All theatres in the circuit would call us every evening to report the days grosses. The reason they called my theatre is because our last show went on at 2AM so there was always letting out at 3AM and re opened at 7AM. One night one of the other NY Theatres failed to call. I kept trying to reach them and never got an answer. Then as the night wore on I got busy doing other things and forgot they hadn't called. The next day the theatre did not open for the first show. I received a call from one of the employees that they couldn't get into the theatre. I grabed a spare set of keys that we kept in case of emergency and hopped a cab up to the other theatre.

When I went down stairs, I noticed that the light were on in the Managers Office. When I open the door I found the manager and the cashier bound and tied together on the floor.
Thier clothes had been removed and their hands taped behind them and they were roped back to back together. They safe was open and of course the money was all gone. They had stayed this way for over 13 hours. They were alive. But I don't think they were ever the same again. The manager and I stayed friends until his passing in 1984. However his hands would shake when ever he carried money.