BANK ADDS PEPPER SPRAY MECHANISM TO ATMs

South Africa's Absa Bank reported on 9 July 2009 that it has fitted 11 automatic teller machines (ATMs) across the Cape Peninsula with pepper spray mechanisms in order to deter criminals. The bank stated that the technology is intended to prevent ATM bombings and card skimming activities, which are particularly common in Cape Town since the city is such a popular tourist attraction. The mechanism apparently uses cameras that are programmed to determine whether anyone many be tampering with machine slots. If such activity is observed, another machine ejects pepper spray to disorient the criminal to allow time for police officers to respond