Bank Robber-A Successful Profession?

Bank Robber: (n) A thief who steals something from a bank using threats or violence, i.e. Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger (see below), The Dalton Gang, Jesse James, Bugs Moran, George 'Baby Face' Nelson.

Read the newspaper or turn on the local news and you'll find every now and again a story about a bank robbery. Even Hollywood has its hands in bank robberies and has created over a dozen movies about bank robberies; Public Enemies, Inside Man, Dog Day Afternoon, Heat, and The Bank Job to name a few. Even in video games you can experience step-by-step motions of a bank robber.

With the economy in the slumps, you may be asking yourself--find a job or rob a bank? That may be taking it a little too far, but if you are thinking of the latter then you might want to think twice.

Most bank robberies occur in urban areas. This may seem like an opportunity--a bigger city may mean bigger banks with more money. However, 60% of bank robbers are eventually caught, sometimes even in the same day. Possibly because the bigger the banks-the better the security. There's also more people around to catch a glimpse of the robber or point out to police the direction he (or she) headed.

Bank robbery is a universal crime that seems to be appealing to thieves in many countries. In recent studies by Home Office, it was found that in Tallahassee, FL, a quarter of robbed banks will be robbed again within the same week. Over half of the robbed banks will be robbed again within a month! Across the Atlantic, in England, one third of banks robbed will be robbed again within three months.

In 2009 in the US, more than $9.4 million was taken from banks, with most of the robberies occurring on a Friday between 9 and 11 AM. Thankfully, acts of violence were committed in only 5% of the incidents. Most robberies occurred in the southern region of the US.

Check out the screen shot. This is a SpotCrime map of bank robberies that have occurred since 2008 in Raleigh, NC. You can do the same search for your own area by changing the date range, selecting only the 'Robbery' icon and putting 'bank' in the Keyword search bar.

The most common bank robbery is the 'note job'. This includes the robber passing a note to the teller asking for money and valuables and includes a threatening ultimatum. For example, "This is a robbery, hand over all cash except bait money. You have 15 seconds or else the customers!" But, if you're like the unlucky robber in NY, you'll pass the note to an indifferent teller and won't get away with any money!

Take a trip to your local bank and you'll realize that committing a robbery is not like taking candy from a baby (and remember, you'll most likely get caught within 24 hours). Surveillance is everywhere and There may even be undercover security guards. This is when most robbers use a disguise. The disguise could be a variety of things ranging from wigs, hats and hoodies to face masks, full body outfits to Halloween masks (for all of the Keanu Reeves fans--the exPreseidents). Most robbers also have a get-away prepared and it seems they have chosen wisely--getting away by car, on foot, and even on a turquoise 10-speed.

Crime does not pay. Robbing a bank is a felony and you could end up with a lot of jail time (depending on the charges) Not a very good profession if you have a 60% chance of getting fired. And you won't even get to keep the money! You're better off spending time beefing up your resume and applying for jobs than spending your time planning to rob a bank!

Prevention is the best precaution against crimes. Contact your local police department if you see anything suspicious in your area. Sign up for SpotCrime alerts to stay informed of what's occurring in your neighborhood!