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print story|email storylast updated: 6/15/2005
ATM Proposal May Keep You SaferJune 15, 2005 ¡ª Using an ATM machine is almost unavoidable. One Philadelphia city council member wants to keep you safer when you're getting cash.
VIDEO: Cathy Gandolfo reports
That council member wants ATMs in the city to have emergency buttons.
Most of us use ATM's regularly and we try to be aware of our surroundings. But one Philadelphia City councilwoman believes that adding a 911 emergency button on the machines would make them safer and help deter robberies.
Automatic Teller Machines are already equipped with cameras and a usually well lit at night. But Philadelphia city councilwoman Donna Reed Miller has introduced an ordinance that would require a 911 emergency service button on outdoor unprotected ATM's. She says it would be activated when the card in inserted and for 2 minutes after its removed.
Local banks haven't yet weighed in on the proposal and not all ATM's are associated with banks. However, the Pennsylvania Banking Association doesn't think a 911 button is a good idea. The association says it could put people in further jeopardy if an armed robber believes the victim will immediately call police.
We asked several ATM users what they think. But some we spoke with wondered about police response time and whether its really a good idea.
Several cities and state are also considering similarly ATM-911 legislation. A bill that would utilize emergency phones at ATM's in N.J. has been bogged down in committee for over a year. Public hearings on the Philadelphia Ordinance will come in the fall.
(Copyright 2005 by Action News. All Rights Reserved.)
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