Charlotte, NC – In an effort to deter bank robbers, Credit Union will become among the state’s first financial institutions to restrict their customers from wearing hats, hoods or sunglasses.
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Officials with the Carolina Federal Credit Union said that it will institute new regulations requiring customers remove head coverings before entering their buildings.
Those who refuse will not be turned away, but won’t be able to conduct business with the regular tellers. Instead, they will be monitored and served at a location near the front of the branch.
“This program will provide a safer environment for members and employees,” said Donna Beringer, CFCU president. “The simple act of removing hats, hoods, and sunglasses in the credit union will not only help deter would-be robbers, it makes it much easier to identify and capture anyone that chooses to perpetrate fraud.”
The policy’s concession is aimed at customers who wear religious headgear, such as Jewish men wearing yarmulkes or Muslim women wearing hijabs. But they too would only be helped at the front.
“So we will be separate but equal,” said Rose Hamid, head of the Muslim Women of the Carolinas. “That is absolutely unacceptable. I would find that offensive and I would do everything I could to make sure it does not go through.”
Bank robberies are common. And according to experts, they tend to go up during times of economic hardship.
Hundreds of banks and credit unions across the country have instituted the “No hats, no glasses, no hoods” policy, including agencies in California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oklahoma and Florida.
This month, a Muslim woman was denied service at the Community Bank of the Bay in Oakland, Calif., where officials had recently instituted the policy. The ensuing controversy forced the bank to release an official apology.
“We understand what is behind this,” said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “But this is such a broad and vague policy that it will inevitably lead to problems.”
CFCU’s Security Officer, Erin Williams, said the program is meant to assist law enforcement officers in their investigations of robberies, as well as cases of fraud and forgery.
“Anyone who walks into the office and does not abide by this policy will be watched more closely and know that they are being watched,” she said.
I would say go for it. So we will be served at a different line. It will help us remember that we are different.
As long as there is a place for people to conduct business while remaining with their heads covered, I don’t thing it is a problem.
A hijab covering the entire face apart from the eyes is a totally different concept from a yarmulke. The Muslim woman is wrong to protest this. Jews would be right.
However, as my father used to say…you can always take your overdraft elsewhere!
i agree with this. i would have no issue going to the side because of a head covering. i think if it;ll help with bank robberies, what’s the big deal?
If the issues is being able to record the face, then this blanket restriction shows a lack of thought and analysis (I’m trying to be kind).
I understand that a burka, or even sunglasses would hide facial features, but a yarmulka or a tichel (even a Moslem tichel) does not hide facial features to the point of reducing the ability to ID a perp on a video recording.
I made a few deposits and payments at a Citibank branch in Broward County, FL this past summer.
Anyway, there was a sign on the door asking you to kindly remove your sun glasses and hats. So I took my sunglasses and baseball cap off, made my deposit and walked out. No big deal.
Then I realized the bank had a drive through, which I used for the other stops. Was it because of their rule? No. I just was too lazy to get out of my air conditioned car.
If my bank had instituted this kind of policy, I would get on the “robbers line” one time – to pull out my money and close the account.
I think it’s not a bad idea! Maybe we won’t have to wait in those long…….. lines to do our banking! We’ll get our own personal attention!
I hope that line will be faster then the regular line …but I’m scared that I will allways get from the teller a slip that says a hold on my deposit for 10 days
The same proposal is pending among several banks in the New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania area. If they require Yiddeshe men wearing a kipah to get on line with the arab women wearing a burka, this will be a real problem for negiah and tzinus. We should louldly protest this invasion of our regligious rights which whould take priority over these questionable needs for heightened security.
how would it be any more a problem of negia and tznius than men who go to the bank now? If anything they would be surrounded by less scantily clad woman and more fully covered ones. do you think burka covered women are going to go around hugging bekeshe wearing men because they are waiting in the same part of the bank?
what’s next, a yellow star?
I think everyone is being a little overly sensitive. The no headcoverings, no dark glasses, no face covering policy is not antisemitic or anti-religious. More people n the u.s. wear baseball caps, hoods and other type of headgear than shtreimels. There is an increase in bank robberies, and robbers wear hoods, hats and dark glasses to try to conceal their identities. A smart robber might try to use religious attire for a disguise. The bank is being accomodating by offering a special line where you can keep on your headgear. There is nothing in the article that suggests that yalmukes will be a problem, they are talking about hats and hoods. I think the policy makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is my bank now charging $2.50 if you use a teller instead of an ATM.
Oh come on……..a kippa …….you cant compare it to the dress code of the Muslim women ……….you can take your hats off but a kippa …..soon they will have a separate window for people with hare …………..and you will need to shave ,be a complete bald in order to be served……..lol