Surge in Bank Robberies in the Elkhart/South Bend, Indiana Area

I closely watched last year as the number of bank robberies in our area has climbed. While the statistics are not out yet for the Elkhart/St. Joseph county vicinity, according to WNDU channel 16 News, the number in South Bend alone has been 25. This is three times higher than the year before. The first day of 2008 that banks were open, January 2, produced the first bank robbery in the area for the year.

Our area is not the only one that is seeing an growth in the rate of bank robberies. The Chicago Tribune reports that the increase had jumped 77% for the Chicago area from 2004 to 2006. In the light of the recent surge in this type of crime, questions should be asked. Why now? Why the increase?

Years ago. gas stations and liquor stores were the heist of choice. My brother-in-law owned a liquor store over 30 years ago and eventually sold it. When asked why he would sell a very profitable business that he had worked so hard to secure, his reply was, "I was tired of looking at the business end of a sawed off shot gun." Today liquor stores still are targets, but the increase in the rate of a once almost off limit area, banks and credit unions, has been dramatic. The increase is easy to understand when taking a look at recent changes.

The decline of security guards. Most banks chose to replace security guards with technology to reduce expenses. At one time it was common place to see an off duty police officer standing in a local branch, staving off the hopes of potential robbers to reap ill gotten gain. Four years ago the local Chase branch eliminated the security guard in their downtown Elkhart, IN branch in favor of new push button coded locks for the doors. These locks were of no use when they were robbed during banking hours.

Another bank installed controlled double doors. There is a double set of doors. One person at a time can go through the doors, is scanned for metal, and then is buzzed through the second door. Once they are through, the second person can go through the process. In order to exit, the first door must shut before the second opens. The tellers have the ability to lock both doors once the person is between them. I thought that this was foolproof, and it seems the tellers did have the robber trapped in the exit. He had robbed the bank with a "bomb", and threatened to explode it if the tellers would not let him out. They had to do it, on the outside chance that he was telling the truth. The bomb later turned out to be useless electronic equipment.

That's where the money is. Even though infamous Willie Sutton, the original "Slick Willie" was incorrectly credited for the phrase, it still stands today. Many of the gas station/convenience stores no longer have more than $50 in the till at a time. Banks on the other hand have to have more on hand than that amount.

I will not mention the time of day, or the branch, but at one of the branches that was close to the factory area, there were hundreds of thousands of dollars on the payday of the local companies. This was necessary to accommodate the long line that went to the door and sometimes out it. Because I didn't handle money, but stock transactions, I was always looking for ways to help or at least entertain the crowd. It was so long one very hot day that I went out and bought Popsicles for those waiting outside. This meant that the bank had to have a great deal in the drawers to insure the flow of traffic was maintained.

Protect the customers. The tellers are instructed not to use any heroics. Although there is a favorite story that I had read on a very clever teller.

"A bank robber had written out the demand note on a withdrawal slip at one bank. Seeing that it was crowded and in fear of getting caught, he left the branch and went across the street to a competitor. This bank was much less crowded.

He got to the teller and handed her the note that he wrote on the deposit slip across the street. She noticed that it was written on another bank's slip and said, "I'm sorry, this is on XYZ's withdrawal slip, I cannot accept it. You will have to use one of ours." And pointed him to the direction of their supply.

As he was rewriting the note, she pressed the alarm and the would be robber was apprehended.

Is this true? I don't know but I love the concept. Even a move like this could endanger the life of both the teller or a near by customer. Money can be replaced, lives can't.

Tellers are left with no alternatives but to hand over the funds. Liquor store owners and other small businesses frequently have their own form of justice hidden under the counter. If I were to rob someone, I would take my chances on the security cameras of a bank, rather than the potential of a really ticked off owner that has the freedom to take matters into his own hands.

Is there a solution to the problem? We could teach the tellers how to shoot and provide each one with a gun. It would only take one swift shot to a potential robber to stop the race to the bank. This is of course said with a wink. Knowing some of the horrible pressure that the tellers are under, supervisors wouldn't be safe either. Many of the local banks are hiring security guards again. It seems the presence of a blue-badged uniform is still better than all the security equipment in the world.