Casino robberies have been on the rise over the last decade. I don't know if anyone specifically tracks these robberies, but I think those of us who have been in the business for a while know that they are becoming more frequent.

I know that early in my career we weren't concerned about robberies because they were so rare in the gambling world. It's fair to say that in the mafia days in Las Vegas, people were probably afraid to rob a casino for fear of violent retaliation, so it didn't happen.

I guess now that casinos have opened all over the country and the mafia is gone, robbing a casino seems like a good idea.

Not those casinos are easy targets. They have their own security equipment, which includes surveillance equipment with cameras everywhere, especially where the money is. They may have armed security officers both inside and outside. It is not easy to rob a casino, and suspects will most likely be caught on camera, identified and eventually arrested.

So why are casinos targeted?

Because, like banks, that's where the money is!

Most people believe that casinos have millions of dollars, in cash, ready and waiting to be taken at any time.

Of course, we know there isn't usually that much in one place, but in casinos we have tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, readily available. And it is that cash-rich environment that is so tempting to criminals.

In essence, casinos are extremely vulnerable to a robbery attempt at any of their cash locations.

Our job is to observe and report it to the local police, hopefully providing them with enough information so they can identify and apprehend the suspects.

Sounds easy enough, until you realize that most casinos do not practice their response to an alarm activation of any kind.

Yes, we have or should have all kinds of plans in case something happens, but when it does, most casinos are not prepared.

When an individual or a team does not have a plan or has not practiced what they will do when an emergency arises, by the time they actually have to act things out the situation has all the potential to get worse quickly.

Think about what could happen if your security officer, instead of observing and reporting, decides to confront an armed robber who struggles to get out of the casino, and does so by firing his weapon.

If someone gets hurt, or worse, seriously injured or killed, there will be a hell of a lot of money to pay!

Most security and surveillance departments do not conduct emergency drills for two reasons:

1) They are too busy in their day-to-day operations.

2) They feel there are not enough personnel on shift to conduct a drill.

Neither reason is a good one. Ask yourself when an emergency will occur. Most of us will agree that emergencies are impossible to predict, and will occur at the worst possible time.

It won't be when you have all your team members present and ready, but when five of your agents and a supervisor have called in sick, in the middle of the night, on a busy Saturday night with events all over your casino. No matter when it happens, it will be the worst possible time.

With this in mind, it makes sense that we practice whenever we can with the people and resources we have now.

Ultimately, this should not be difficult. It usually takes less than 15 minutes to practice an initial response to an alarm. You could do it every week without hurting your business or your security program.

Expand the drill to include one or more employees where they pose as robbers who will act as if they are robbing the teller and allow the situation to play out with the teller raising the alarm, security and surveillance responding and police being notified as in a real situation (be sure to let everyone know it is a drill).

You can also let no one know it is a drill (other than the police) to test your teams, but make sure you are able to control the response and pull back if necessary.

Regular practice will hone your team to the point where they can respond to an alarm quickly and professionally, while giving them the best chance of getting the information they need to bring suspects to justice. At the same time, you're also putting your casino in the best position to protect your players and team members from unnecessary harm.

This is where you want to be!

Jennifer Boss has been in the gambling and hospitality industry for more than 19 years, beginning her career as a surveillance agent and holding positions as surveillance supervisor, security training director, risk manager and corporate fraud investigator and analyst at Aztar Casino, Tropicana Entertainment, Downtown Grand and Caesars Entertainment.