A bank robbery suspect was shot and killed Friday morning in Takoma Park after taking a woman hostage. In an age of high bank security and steep jail sentences, The List has to wonder how dumb you have to be to rob a bank. After looking into the matter, she determines: Pretty dumb.
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Banks have security—lots of it
Security guards, employee training, alarms under teller counters, bullet-proof glass at the counter, dye packs, and cameras are a few of the measures in place at many banks. Complex fingerprint-reading technology and really smart doors (bullet-proof revolving doors that can trap a burglar during escape) are a few of the newer features of bank security. Security is one possible reason why bank robberies dropped from 7,644 in 2003 to 6,062 in 2009.
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Even if you get out of the bank, the cash is probably unusable
Dye packs are one of the most effective security measures, bank security expert Richard Cross says, because they render the cash unusable and mark the robber.
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They know what you look like
If the cops can’t identify you by the colorful dye splashed all over you, they probably got a good look at you from cameras and employee descriptions. Cross says tellers are trained to immediately fill out a description form after a robbery.
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Local robbers aren’t too successful
According to F.B.I. figures, about 20 percent of all stolen loot is recovered each year, but locally, bank robbers don’t fare too well. Falls Church’s sole bank robber last year was caught in Maryland within weeks; 12 of 20 of Fairfax’s 2010 bank robberies have either been closed or the suspect has been identified; three robberies were attempted in Arlington and one arrested.
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The reward is hardly worth the risk
Armed bank robbers in Maryland are facing up to 20 years in jail; for the unarmed, it’s 15. Consider that Falls Church’s one robber made off with a measly $3,000 before being arrested.
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You’re more likely to get killed than the employee you’re robbing
By the F.B.I.’s most recent count of 2010, 10 people died during bank robberies. Eight of those were the robber.
3 Comments
M McGillicuddy
If robbers had the capacity to rationalize like brain surgeons, they'd have jobs and wouldn't need to steal.
Jerry Knight
This guy was dumb--by the standards of bank robbers. Michael Connelly wrote a great book about a semi-successful bank robber called The Two Minute Rule. This moron was in the bank for 14 minutes.
USA Citizen
the Robber was Hispanic. very few Hispanics in that area understand English or the laws -- so hence impoverishes that area -- too bad, it used to be a nice area. Thanks to government for bringing all this poverty, illiteracy and ignorance into the region.
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