An ATM-related robbery happens every hour.

An ATM-related robbery happens every hour, by one estimate, as thieves put to proof to grab a portion of a reported $6 million in transactions handled each year by dint of the average ATM machine.

Since these crimes are approximately five times more likely to befall after 8 p.m., banks are looking to improve ATM safety at night. the same method is to ensure that lighting remains constant and bright. The LA2000 Light Alarm hypothesis performs this function automatically from monitoring light and signaling when it globules below acceptable levels. Offered on Protection Systems Inc., Newport Beach, Calif., the device includes a controller a far off foot-candle sensor and an interface for an AC or DC power source.

ATM safety can be compromised when the lighting is masked or vandalized, says John Shriner, corporate security manager for Norwest Bank, Minneapolis. At Norwest ATMs, the LA2000 will trigger back-up lighting and lance a signal ...