The Swedish Bank Robbery
The event unfolded like a Hollywood blockbuster. For Swedish police it was not.
The use of spike-strips to disable approaching ground units means someone on the ground had to place them there. Maybe the radio call of a suspicious person placing something in the roadway is not just a nuisance. Has a unit pulled over a vehicle with several spike-strips in the back seat? Yes, mere possession of these items might not be a crime but a thorough and complete field investigation is certainly in order. It might be the start of a very long night.
Incidents like these point out the need for cooperation with all airport operators and a view towards any aircraft theft with an eye towards a possibly larger more sinister motive.
Above all, this incident reminds us that high stakes; complex, well planned crimes are not simply the domain of Hollywood. We must always remember that the result of not taking these possibilities seriously is not simply a director yelling cut! only to re-do the scene. Our failures may cost lives, possibly our own. Always play the What if? scenarios. It could quite literally save lives.
