Part 1: Bank Robbery Basics
Part 2: After a Bank Robbery
Bank Robbery Training
Banks and credit unions offer bank robbery training to all of their employees. Consumers should also know what to do during a bank robbery. This page is intended to help you take the right actions during a bank robbery.
Bank Robbery Statistics
It is important to understand how bank robberies occur in the US. While I won’t lay out the details here, you can find a wealth of information in the FBI’s reports on bank robbery. In particular, they show that a bank is robbed approximately every hour (as of the latest data). This is often enough to keep yourself alert!
Next, keep in mind that the majority of bank robbery attempts are “note-passings”. This is a case where the bank robber simply passes a note to a teller informing the teller that a robbery is in progress and that the teller should hand over all the money. Why is this important? Because you may not even know that a robbery is in progress.
You’ll also be delighted to know that bank robbery is not a lucrative career. Most robberies result in a relatively small amount of money leaving the institution. Banks are much more careful these days about keeping vaults stacked full of money (it’s not like what you see in the movies). They simply know that keeping too much cash around is not the best idea for a variety of reasons.
Simple Survival Steps
To make the best of a bad situation, think along the following lines:
- My money is insured, the only thing at risk is my safety (see below)
- Let the guy have what he wants, the sooner he gets it the sooner he’ll go away
- He’s probably done this before or he’ll do it again – the more often he does it the better his chances of getting caught
Bank Robbery Heroes
Every law enforcement official will tell you the same thing: the most heroic act you should take in a bank robbery is noticing any details about the robber. You should not try to stop the robbery by force. Keep in mind that an increasing number of bank robbers are using powerful drugs (cocaine and methamphetamine) during the time of the robbery. You don’t want to take chances with an intoxicated person in a desperate situation – it’s simply not worth all of the money in the world.
If you notice that a bank robbery is in progress, simply get some details on the robber that you can pass on to the police. Some helpful information:
- Clothing – look for layers under the visible layer (the outer layer will come off)
- Physical characteristics – height, weight, eyes, hair, mannerisms, scars/tattoos
- Automobile description (not the most important since it’s probably stolen)
- Direction of travel
- Weapons – the police need to know if the robber is armed
Remember that the bank robber is trying to avoid getting caught, and he probably knows what you’re looking for. Therefore, do not stare at a bank robber. In fact, it’s best not to attract any attention to yourself. Simply follow instructions so that the robber can get out of there as soon as possible. Law enforcement will pursue the robber. Agitating a bank robber can result in harm to yourself and/or others.
Bank Robbery Hostages
If the bank robbery is the type where the robber wants to take hostages, I can’t offer you much advice. Some robbers want to take a hostage with them to secure the getaway. Whether or not you resist is up to you. There are a variety of ways to make yourself less desirable as a hostage. Be creative: use emotions, bodily functions, and more.
Keep in mind that the robber may or may not be reasonable. If he promises to let you go immediately following the getaway, you need to decide how confident you are that things will go according to plan.
