What does casing a bank mean?

Casing a bank is a colloquial and criminal law enforcement term that describes the clandestine process of secretly scouting, observing, and gathering tactical intelligence on a financial institution prior to planning an illegal robbery or heist. During this reconnaissance operation, individuals will study the bank's physical layout, monitor security guard patrol schedules, locate interior and exterior security camera angles, identify alarm response times, and observe customer and employee traffic patterns to determine the optimal time, entrance, and exit strategy. This meticulous planning phase is designed to minimize unexpected variables and increase the likelihood of a successful operation, though it also leaves behavioral and digital footprints that investigators and security teams look for to thwart potential threats.