Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Bank robber in Graysville, Alabama, January 9, 2009
Bad economic times did not lead to a rise in bank robberies during 2009, according to the FBI. The bureau’s latest statistics reveal there were 5,943 robberies, 100 burglaries, 19 larcenies, and three extortions of banks last year, for a total of 6,062 violations.
In 2008, there were nearly 800 more banking-related crimes (6,857).
Bank robberies in 2009 resulted in $45.9 million being stolen, of which only $8 million was recovered.
Robbers seem to prefer Friday mornings more than any other day or time of the week for their heists. More than half of the bank robbers were black men. In only 91 of the 6,062 cases were the robbers so well-disguised that it was impossible to determine their race or sex.
A total of 79 bank employees were injured, as were 21 customers. The only deaths (21) were of the robbers themselves.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
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