Source: US Northwestern University’s Medill Reports
Security measures apparently do little to deter robbers. Of the 7,272 robberies or attempted robberies in the USA in 2006, 98 percent of victim institutions had an alarm system and/or surveillance cameras.
One man accused of robbing seven Indiana banks told a newspaper earlier this month that his only deterrent to robbing banks was security guards – a rare feature today at US banks.
Instead of career robbers, people from many walks of life are gravitating to robbery, ranging from drug addicts to employed middle-class individuals, according to Gregory Scott, professor of sociology at DePaul University, Chicago.
“We’re coming to the end of the really well-plotted, well-organized bank robbery that results from long-term strategic planning. Now we’re talking about lower-level bank robberies,” he said.
Today’s robbers are spontaneous and opportunistic, according to a 2007 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice, which identified three factors contributing to rising robbery rates: more bank outlets and extended hours creating greater opportunities, robbers' perceptions of banks as a lucrative target and because robberies are usually fast, low risk crimes - in the USA 90% of robberies are successful, although 60% of robbers are eventually caught.
