Two Columbia banks robbed after bank safety seminar
People working at the two banks were not present at the seminar.
Sept. 4, 2008
On Aug. 26, the Callaway Bank and Columbia police hosted a safety seminar aimed at helping bank staff members prevent and respond to robberies.
The seminar was held just days before two robberies hit two local banks in a two-day period. The seminar offered tips on avoiding commercial, residential and vehicular burglaries, all crimes that have increased in Columbia during the past year, according to a Columbia Police Department news release.
CPD officer Jesse Haden, who specializes in crime prevention, offered tips about preventative measures such as locking sliding doors and designing commercial landscaping so it prevents a potential robber from hiding in a shadowy corner. Haden could not be reached for comment.
Haden partnered with Ellen Dent, who manages the Chapel Hill branch of Callaway Bank. Dent said representatives from the two burglarized banks were not present at the seminar and added the kind of tips discussed there probably would not have prevented the robberies.
"My impression is that if people want to rob a bank, they generally do," Dent said.
The first robbery occurred around 5 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Bank of America. Police said the suspect, Maurice Penny Sr., of Boonville, demanded money from a teller via a note. Police said he fled the scene on a bicycle and was pursued by Columbia police officers. A short foot chase ensued in the 900 block of West Ash, ending with officers arresting Penny on suspicion of first-degree robbery.
The next day, officers responded to an alarm at 1:33 p.m. at Boone County National Bank.A CPD news release said the suspect entered the bank and passed the teller a stick-up note implying he had a weapon. The release said the suspect took an undisclosed amount of money from the teller and left on foot. No arrests have been made in the case.
Although these two crimes occurred over a short period of time, the release characterized the trend of commercial property crime as "steady," with residential and vehicular property crime on the rise in 2008. The release also said Columbia has relatively low figures in those crimes during the past three years.
Columbia had almost 190,000 burglary and theft-related offenses in 2007. The Missouri State Highway Patrol recorded 143,620 thefts and 39,875 burglaries, fewer than in 2006.
CPD's Community Services Unit offers seminars and tips on property crime prevention. Free safety downloads, videos and community programs can be found on the department's Web site.
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