KOTA KINABALU: All 13 bank branches in the Penampang district have been issued with guidelines to upgrade security for the festive holiday as a deterrent to criminals targeting their premises.

       Penampang district police chief Deputy Supt Mohd Haris Ibrahim said he presented the various measures that should be taken during a recent meeting with the bank officers in Penampang and Putatan.

       "The purpose of this meeting is to work out cooperation between the police and the bank management to raise awareness to take care of their own bank premises.

       "The responsibility of the police remains by conducting patrols and we have plans from various patrols to be mobilised to the area of commercial banks so that there is no opportunity for criminals to commit crimes at bank premises or at teller machines (ATMs)," he said.

       DSP Mohd Haris said that among the security control measures proposed were encouraging banks to hire security guards who were on duty round the clock and checking on their existing security system at the premises.

       "We do not want another ATM machine to be blown up during the holidays, so we suggest several measures to the banks during the five days off in conjunction with Hari Raya to prevent the premises from being targeted by criminals," he said when referring to incidents when criminals blew up bank ATMs during long holidays.

       "We suggest that the banks have more than one security guard to guard the premises 24 hours to ensure the bank is safe for the five-day holiday," he said on Friday (April 29).

       "At the same time, we propose that the existing security systems at the banks such as alarms, closed circuit television (CCTV) recordings and whatever security measures have been taken to be reviewed and ensured to function during this holiday period," he said.

       He added that the banks’ management can contact the operations room of the Penampang district police headquarters if there is any emergency at their premises.

       In 2016, criminals used explosives at two bank premises to grab cash boxes from ATMs during long public holidays.