By Patricia L Johnson and Richard E Walrath

Do robberies increase just before a recession?  Can you predict a recession by tracking the number of robberies?  Is there a correlation between the unemployment rate and the number of robberies? 

We don’t know the answers to the above questions, but we know 2006 was a good year for bank robbers and a bad year for banks.

FBI records indicate total violations came in at 7,272 or 19.92 incidents per day.  Looks like the numbers have increased ever so slightly from the days of Bonnie and Clyde.

The total violations against Commercial Banks, Mutual Savings Banks, Savings and Loan Associations, Credit Unions and Armored Carrier Companies consist of the following:

6,985 – Robberies – theft of property or money through physical force or fear.  

   209 – Burglaries – no use of force – generally no victim is present.

     78 – Larcenies – taking anything of value without consent of owner.

Of the $72.6 million in loot (cash, checks and other property) stolen in 2006 only $11.2 million has been recovered by law enforcement officials. 

More bank robberies are committed between 9 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning (1,901) than at any other time, with the Branch Office’s of Financial Institutions hit more often than any other facilities (6,767).  The location of the Financial Institution is generally in the Commercial District (5,046) of a Metropolitan City (3,703).

Most of our bank robbers seem to be more interested in getting money than causing harm as only 329 acts of violence were committed during the 7,272 incidents, with a total of 129 injuries.

Did anyone ever conduct interviews of apprehended robbers to ask them why they were holding up banks?

Willie Sutton, when asked this question, said, "Because that’s where the money is."