Bank crimes

In 2009, 16 banks a day were robbed in the U.S.

This article was published on 08.05.10

With the recent uptick in robberies at local financial institutions, it might seem as though Butte County is turning into a hotbed of bank crime (see Downstroke, p. 8), but looking at the FBI’s crime stats for 2009 paints a broad, eye-opening picture. This most daring of crimes is not just something that happened in the Old West or in the movies. In fact, last year, the United States experienced an average of 16 bank robberies a day.

2009 U.S. bank crime numbers

• 6,062 violations (5,943 robberies; 100 burgleries; 19 larcenies)

• $46 million in stolen loot

• $8 million recovered loot

• 3,269 used a demand note

• 1,619 used a firearm

• 2,533 threatened use of unseen weapon

• 306 takeovers

• 94 hostages taken

• 29 vault/safe thefts