In a letter yesterday to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks said requirements that people wear face masks in public could lead to more bank robberies.
Brooks, who also sent letters to the National League of Cities and the National Association of Governors, said banks historically had policies prohibiting masks and certain head coverings to prevent bank robberies.
“Many banks relaxed these prohibitions temporarily during the height of the COVID-19 crisis out of concern for the health and welfare of their customers,” Brooks said in the letter. “While that may have been a prudent decision when the extent of the health risk was still unknown, recent reports of face-covering-related robberies at bank branches and other establishments make clear that broadly applicable face mask requirements are not safe or sustainable on a permanent basis.”
Gov. Charlie Banker made wearing face masks or cloth face coverings mandatory in public places where social distancing is not possible, effective May 6.
Many Massachusetts banks have offered limited or no access to branch lobbies since late March. The Massachusetts Bankers Association and the Cooperative Credit Union Association said in a joint statement last week that banks and credit unions would have new face mask requirements in branches as they begin to reopen to customers.
“As we enter Phase I of the commonwealth’s re-opening plan, most of the industry will continue to provide service as it has during the last eight weeks, with a gradual opening of some branches,” Donald P. Gill, Massachusetts Bankers Association board chair and recently retired president and CEO of Coastal Heritage Bank, said in the statement. “The health of consumers and our staff is paramount, with facemask protection a key measure of banking safety.”
The MBA and CCUA said institutions would still take steps to ensure the customer has been properly identified for regulatory and security reasons.
One way institutions are handling face masks is to have customers briefly lower their mask when entering a branch. At Merrimack Valley Credit Union, a staff member serves as a concierge to ask members “to momentarily lower their masks so their identification can be verified before they conduct their transaction,” president and CEO John Howard said in the statement.
Jon Skarin, an executive vice president with the MBA, said he had not heard any concerns in recent days from member banks about face mask policies.
Brooks’ three-page letter also said ongoing lockdowns could threaten the stability of financial institutions.
