Rankin Inlet (Jan 17/07) - The ongoing attempts at break and enter and random acts of vandalism at the Rankin Inlet branch of the Royal Bank of Canada may lead to its outer doors being locked after regular business hours.

Bank manager Troy Nixon is frustrated by the senseless attempts to gain access to the automated teller machine at the Royal Bank in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

The move would result in the automatic teller machine (ATM) being inaccessible during evening and weekend hours.

The bank was the target of youthful vandals and would-be thieves once again this past holiday season, despite the fact bank manager Troy Nixon hired a security guard and asked RCMP and bylaw officers to step up patrols around the area.

Nixon himself had a run-in with a group of youth recently.

He put the youth out of the lobby area around 10 p.m., only to come back at 11 p.m. and find them back inside.

"I went in through the bank after putting them out again at 11 p.m., came out through the back door and got into my Jeep," said Nixon.

"By the time I drove around the building they were all going back inside again.

"It's frustrating because they just won't listen and, as often happens, it will be their actions that cause the rest of the community to do without a valuable service."

Nixon said the bank's security cameras show the damage is mainly being done by youth ranging in age from eight to 17 years.

He said what the kids are doing amounts to nothing more than senseless destruction that's going to cause staff members to shutdown the banking machine and lock the doors when they leave at 5 p.m.

"I don't want to do that, but our head office has directed us to do so if this type of activity doesn't stop," said Nixon.

"It's frustrating because we can't seem to get a certain group to realize there's no way to break into the ATM or get inside the actual bank from the lobby area.

"It all boils down to senseless violence that's going to cost people in the community a service they've grown accustomed to having."

The bank was hit with more than $150,000 in damages during similar acts this past September.

A new banking machine had to be shipped to the community at that time.

This latest attempt at getting inside the bank saw the youth gain access to the lobby through a window.

The vandals left a path of destruction in their wake - including a considerable amount of blood smeared about the lobby - and tried to set three fires between the entrance to the bank and that of the Worker's Compensation office.

Nixon said that act is especially disturbing because there are 12 apartments housed above the offices.

"We brought this up with our landlords and they're just as concerned as we are," he said.

"There's a tragedy waiting to happen if this isn't stopped."

Nixon said a security door requiring a bank card to gain access to the lobby area would not solve the problem.

He said many youth have their own cards and the door systems will open for any bank card, not just one from the Royal Bank.

"The kids wedge a pop can in the door to keep it from locking when it closes," he said.

"The way it works now, a lock magnetically seals the door shut from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.

"So, the kids will place a can there so they can come back later and get inside when there's not as many people around the area."

Nixon said the landlord is looking at installing a similar magnetic lock on the outside door to the building, which would seal at the same time the bank's inner door locks for the night.

He said that would, at least, provide a secondary barrier the youth would have to get through.

"We're looking at other measures, but the fact of the matter is, one or more instances of destruction and the area will be sealed at 5 p.m. because we just can't keep replacing equipment and fixing up the lobby area.

"We just painted that area about a week ago and now it needs to be painted again.

"We just can't keep absorbing these extra expenses.

"Some of the kids have even been trying to go up through the panels in the lobby ceiling and crawl through into the bank... like it would be that easy to get in to."