Need cash? Plan ahead as some ATMs locked at night

Some Edmontonians looking to get cash from their accounts late at night or early in the morning are finding they can't access the ATMs at their local bank.

Bob Leighton says he's seen people sleeping by the ATMs inside the front section of his Capilano Bank of Montreal branch.

"(I've seen it) plenty of times," he told CTV News Edmonton. "It's not a good thing."

Just the other night, Leighton said he tried to take some cash out but found the doors into the branch to be locked.

He saw a sign that read in part: "The door will be locked during the evening due to recent loitering complaints."

While he doesn't mind using the drive-thru ATM, other banks in the area don't have that same service.

The Capilano TD branch also locks its doors in the evening but has no other accessible ATM.

In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, TD says it adjusted the hours that ATM is available to 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

"TD takes customer and colleague safety very seriously, and we make every effort to ensure that ATM vestibules are accessible for customer use," the bank said.

BMO also said the hours their ATM is accessible were aligned with the overall branch's banking hours of operation to "ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees."

"We apologize for the inconvenience," BMO said in a statement. "Customers can also access our online or mobile banking platforms, or speak with a BMO representative at our customer contact centre."

Jonathan Harline, Boyle Street Community Services spokesperson, says the trend signifies a more significant problem.

"Sleeping in an ATM vestibule or even an encampment or sleeping rough is not a dignified way to exist," Harline said.

That need for more safe places to stay will only get worse as temperatures continue to drop.

"We really want to focus on the fact that there's a lack of places for people to go, and that's why they're kind of resorting to these other places," he added. "These public places to maybe sleep or hang out, and so we really have to find compassion for people in these situations."