FBI: Number of Southland Robberies Declined in 2011

While California may still have the most bank robberies in the nation, in the Southland, those numbers are on a downward trend, according to a recent FBI report.

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office released its annual bank robbery statistics Wednesday and data showed the number of bank robberies fell in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

According to the FBI, which investigates bank robberies jointly with local police and sheriff’s departments, law enforcement responded to 287 bank robberies throughout the seven counties in 2011.

Los Angeles County had the majority of bank robberies with 122, followed by Orange County with 67.

The data also showed California experienced more bank robberies than any other state. Between 40 and 45 percent of robberies committed in California occurred in the seven-district territory.

Of the total 287 robberies, 34 of them were takeover robberies, when one or more of the suspects take employees and customers hostage during the robbery. According to the FBI, takeovers make up 11.8 percent of all bank robberies, a lower percentage than previous years.

Last year’s numbers are about one-ninth of the total bank robberies that occurred during the region’s high of 1992, when more than 2,600 bank robberies occurred in the seven-county region.

The FBI attributes the decrease to closer collaboration between the FBI and local law enforcement agencies, more “proactive” approach by banks in implementing security measures, and successful prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office and District Attorney’s Offices. The FBI also credited media coverage where published surveillance photographs and rewards offered by banks and law enforcement helped raise community awareness, according to the FBI report.  

While numbers were on the decline in 2011, early reports show bank robberies are picking up in 2012. So far this year, the region has reported 40 bank robberies, mostly in Los Angeles County.

The most occurred at a Union Bank on Dec. 30. The suspect, known as the Puffy Coat Bandit because of the puffy ski jacket he wore during at least one robbery, robbed seven banks before being caught by .