The Chicago Bank Robbery Initiative - includes related article on closed-circuit TV systems

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, April, 1997 by Paul Carroll, Ronald John Loch

The Chicago area, like other major metropolitan areas of the United States, experienced a sharp increase in the number of bank robberies during the past several years. In 1994, the Chicago Police Department, in cooperation with the Chicago Office of the FBI, began researching the problem. Through this effort, investigators identified several key factors that influenced bank robbers' decisions to strike certain institutions at specific times. Investigators also determined which security measures served as deterrents to potential offenders and which measures proved most effective in helping law enforcement apprehend subjects after a robbery occurred.

The police department and the FBI subsequently drafted specific recommendations to assist banking officials in making their institutions less vulnerable to robbery. Investigators also organized a seminar for bank employees designed to augment the limited security training employees receive when they are hired. During the seminar, investigators discussed the findings of their research, reviewed federal security regulations, and made specific recommendations for tellers to follow during and directly after robberies.

While some of the data gathered by the investigators through the Chicago Bank Robbery Initiative relate specifically to bank robberies in the Chicago area, most of the information can be applied to robberies involving financial institutions in any jurisdiction. Collectively, these findings help explain some of the factors behind the rise in bank robberies in communities around the country and provide a basis for enhancing security at these facilities.

RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM

Compared with other well-populated states, the number of bank robberies in Illinois has remained relatively low. In 1994, Illinois recorded 136 robberies of financial institutions. During the same year, the state of New York recorded 329; Florida, 662; and California, 2,215.(1)

Despite the comparatively low statewide figures for Illinois, the city of Chicago has experienced a dramatic increase in bank robberies during the past several years. In 1993, a record 71 bank robberies occurred in the city. In 1994, the number climbed to 73. By contrast, in the years between 1979 and 1992, the highest number of bank robberies for the city during any given year had been 50.(2)

Chicago Police Department detectives and FBI agents participating in the Violent Crimes Task Force pooled their resources to attempt to identify the factors contributing to the rise in bank robberies. To do so, the investigators studied national and local crime records, interviewed local bank robbers, and evaluated the security measures and equipment used by area financial institutions.

Reviewing Records

To help determine basic information about the crime of bank robbery, investigators reviewed national and local statistical data and studied federal and local crime reports. The FD-430, a form completed by FBI agents at the scene of bank robberies, proved especially useful in helping the investigators identify trends and develop security recommendations for financial institutions. Investigators reviewed and entered these FD-430s and Chicago Police Department bank robbery forms into a database for analysis and future reference.

Interviewing Bank Robbers

To obtain a clearer picture of what motivated offenders, investigators interviewed convicted bank robbers. Thus far, investigators have interviewed five offenders serving time either in federal or local correctional institutions. The subjects ranged from note passers who were unarmed at the time of the robbery, to lone armed offenders, to members of armed gangs that specialized in taking over facilities and terrorizing witnesses as they emptied the vault.

While the interviews were not conducted as part of a scientific study, they have been of great value in helping investigators determine why offenders chose a particular target over others, how offenders planned the robberies, and what security measures would have deterred them from robbing a particular institution. During the interviews with offenders, investigators sought the following information:

* Their prior arrest records and prior crimes committed

* Reasons for choosing the bank they robbed

* What deterred them from committing the offense at other locations (if applicable)

* How they committed the offense

* Where they wrote the note (if applicable)

* Where they parked their getaway vehicle(s) (if applicable)

* How much planning they did before the robbery

* Their thoughts about security guards, either armed or unarmed

* Their thoughts about bait money and exploding dye packs

* Their thoughts on surveillance cameras and alarms

* Their thoughts on the law enforcement response.

Investigators also asked the offenders about the circumstances surrounding their apprehension, including what factors they believe led to their capture. If the subject proved cooperative, investigators asked more detailed questions about the robbery.

Evaluating Security Measures