Catch A Thief, Lose Your Job.
Imagine a situation where a bank robber is on the loose and responsible for over a dozen bank robberies. He wears a different hat in each robbery, thus earning the nickname “The Hat Bandit”. In spite of news coverage, no leads come in to help in apprehending this guy.
I imagine the public would be concerned about their safety when conducting bank business. The bankers would probably be putting pressure on the government, who would be putting pressure on the police. In an effort to stop the robberies rewards would be offered.
That is exactly what had been occurring in northern New Jersey according to articles in The Star Ledger and on the website of Philadelphia television station WPVI TV 6.
But the Hat Bandit’s luck ran out on July 22, when he walked into a Bank of America branch and approached 21 year old teller Steven Gomez. He handed Gomez a note demanding $3,000 (2,105 EUR). As Gomez was handing over the money he heard a fellow worker whisper that it was the Hat Bandit.
As the robber left the building, Gomez followed, stripping off his maroon Bank of America dress shirt so he’d be less noticeable. In his undershirt, Gomez ducked behind a car and watched as the bandit climbed into a black Nissan Altima and drove away. Gomez quickly noted the plate number.
Thanks to Gomez, James G. Madison, 50, was behind bars two days later. He has since plead guilty to 19 counts of bank robbery and is due to be sentenced Dec. 8.
For his efforts, Gomez has been praised as a hero by the Morris County Prosecutor, the Union County Prosecutor, and the Essex County Sheriff among others. He also earned $10,000 (7,017 EUR) in reward money.
The reward money came at a price however. The management of the Bank of America where Gomez worked told him that he couldn’t accept the reward as long as he was a bank employee.
“Citing privacy issues, Bank of America spokeswoman Tara Burke said she could not discuss Gomez. In general, Burke said, all employees are trained in the steps to take should a robbery occur. She would not elaborate on those steps.”
“All bank tellers are trained to protect themselves and customers first,” said Margot Mohsberg, a spokeswoman for the American Banking Association. “I would think they would want to keep a safe distance.”
Fortunately Gomez, who is a student at Rutgers University, is no fool. He resigned from the bank and collected the reward money. He plans to pursue a career in law enforcement.
I’ve always been a firm believer in citizens helping police whenever they safely can. Does it seem totally insane for a bank to chastize an employee who helps stop a bank robber? I mean it might have been different if Gomez had leapt the counter and wrestled the robber to the floor thereby putting customers and employees in danger, but he did the smart thing and obtained necessary identifying information. Was what he did very much different than giving a good description of the thief? Aren’t we, as a society, creating more and more rules that allow robbers to have free reign over us? Don’t we need more people like Gomez?