Chase shuts NYC ATMs at 5pm due to crime and vagrancy

Chase has announced banks in New York City will close ATMs by 5pm due to ‘rising crime and vagrancy’ amid soaring attacks on customers by homeless people using them as shelters.

The bank said vestibules at a small number of branches across the city would be closed at 5pm or 6pm, aligning with normal hours of its other banking services.

In a tweet, Chase said this was ‘due to rising crime and vagrancy that occurred in these previously 24/7 vestibules.’

But the bank declined to confirm the number of banks or which neighborhoods would be affected. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Chase said: ‘We review our ATM hours on a case-by-case basis and for a variety of reasons may decide to temporarily close some overnight.’

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People walk by a Chase bank branch in Manhattan, New York City in June, 2022

A homeless man used inside a Citibank ATM vestibule in Washington, DC, in November

Crime has spiraled since the pandemic and homeless people have flocked to ATM vestibules, using them to shelter while they sleep or take drugs.

In July, a Chase security guard was stabbed at a bank on the Upper East Side after a man tried to get inside the branch before it had opened. 

In August 2021, a 51-year-old man was smashed over the head by a hatchet-wielding thug as he used an ATM inside a vestibule at a Chase in the Financial District.

The decision by Chase follows other banks such as City National Bank and Citizens that have closed ATM vestibules earlier in the day in NYC in effort to keep vagrants out.

Bank of America branches have also reportedly been ‘periodically’ shut overnight.  

DailyMail.com has contacted the bank for comment. 

Mayor Eric Adams told a press conference Monday he was disappointed by the decision by Chase, adding that he wanted to create a safer environment.

‘How about, people don’t want to walk into their ATM and see someone urinating, see someone screaming and yelling – people don’t want to go through that,’ Adams said.

‘And that is what I’m saying I need to stop. I don’t want my ATMs closing down. I don’t want people leaving our city. We have to create an environment where people are safe and feel safe.’  

The move was revealed after a furious Chase customer, Sunny Ng from Brooklyn, tweeted Tuesday night to say he could not access ATMs in Fort Greene and Williamsburg.

‘It’s really annoying that @chase locks their ATMs at 10pm now. I thought this was New York?’ he tweeted.

Chase responded: ‘Our apologies. We decide to close several ATM vestibules at 5PM or 6PM, aligning the hours of service to that of the normal branch hours, due to rising crime and vagrancy that occurred in these previously 24/7 vestibules.’ 

A homeless person’s belongings lie scattered on the street inside a Wells Fargo ATM vestibule in Los Angeles 

A broken ATM of a Chase bank is seen after a night of riots following the death of George Floyd in June 2020

Another angry customer replied: ‘Are you going to refund the ATM fees to customers when we get ripped off to use a bodega ATM to pay for our late-night slice of pizza because you can’t provide a basic service to account holders?’ 

Another stated: ‘I thought 10:00pm was an inconvenience, but 5pm is ridiculous. You need to reimburse your customers for additional fees because you can’t provide security at these locations.’

The New York Bankers Association, which represents banking institutions across the state, said in a statement: ‘Ensuring the safety and security of customers and employees has always been a top priority of the banking industry.

‘While we have not conducted a recent survey of our members on this topic, as issues arise NYBA and our members evaluate possible trends with the intention of working with banks, law enforcement and the local community toward solutions.’