AUSTIN, Texas — We’re exactly halfway through the month of February and already this year, there have been five bank robberies in Austin.
Three of those five bank robberies happened at banks along Research Boulevard. The latest one happened Tuesday.
KVUE did some digging, and we discovered that the number of bank robberies in Austin has gone up every year for the past four years.
In 2018, Austin hit a seven-year high for bank robberies, with a total of 25. That’s the highest number of bank robberies since 2011.
Unlike what you see in the movies, the robberies are often quick and quiet. The suspect will often pass a note to the teller demanding money, and there’s not typically a weapon involved.
Austin Police Sergeant Sheldon Askew and his group of detectives at APD investigate these crimes along with the FBI.
"In 2018, of the 25 robberies, the vast majority of those were committed by several people. So, in other words, repeat offenders,” Sergeant Askew said.
For example, of the 25 bank robberies in 2018, 16 of the robberies were committed by five individuals.
According to the FBI, typically, these repeat offenders will keep robbing banks until they’re caught.
Why?
Drugs, most likely, according to a FBI spokesperson.
"We see a lot of folks addicted to heroin, meth and other controlled substance. These bank robbers take the money from their robberies and acquire drugs,” Special Agent Michelle Lee said.
In most cases, like this guy wanted for robbing a Bank of America on February 5, the suspects are caught on camera and later arrested.
"Last year, we had a pretty high clearance rate, upwards of 90 percent,” Sergeant Askew said.
Good news for police — and bad news for the bad guys.
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