During that same time period, just 18.5 percent of the nearly $300 million in stolen cash was recovered, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics obtained by the Dayton Daily News.
The task of recovering stolen loot has proven to be even more difficult in southwest Ohio. Just 12.5 percent of the $313,735 stolen from banks in eight area counties from 2009-11 was returned.
Bank and FBI officials said that robbers often take relatively small amounts (between $1,000 to $2,000) that go immediately to purchase drugs or settle drug-related debts.
Recently, more of that stolen money in the Dayton area has been used to pay household bills, said Tim Ferguson, FBI supervisory special agent.
Authorities have learned these details because they are catching robbers at a significant clip, solving 65 of 83 bank robberies in the Dayton area from 2009-11. The money, though, often is already spent.
“If we don’t catch them fleeing the bank, the normal course of an investigation takes time,” said Harry Trombitas, who recently retired after a 29-year FBI career. “The money is gone by the time we catch up with them.”
FBI officials said they have worked with banks on methods to decrease the amount stolen in a robbery, including smaller amounts kept in teller drawers. Meanwhile, banks drill employees on security procedures and encourage patrons to avoid trying to stop a robbery.
“We don’t want to scare our employees, but we also want them to be prepared,” said Ann Smith, senior vice president of LCNB National Bank. “The reason we (train) so often is the same reason law enforcement does so often — so when you’re in a high-stress situation you know what to do.”
The money’s gone
The FBI could label 2007 as one of its most successful years in taking back stolen cash. Of $72.9 million stolen, more than $18 million was recovered.
But that was the exception, it was the only year from 2003 to 2010 during which at least 20 percent of robbery losses were returned. In the other seven years of that period, the return rate was between 14.4 and 19 percent.
Authorities said the main difficulty in retrieving the cash is the average amount taken. Criminals can spend $1,000 to $2,000 quickly, especially when they have a specific purpose for robbing the bank.
“It’s not a very sophisticated crime,” the FBI’s Ferguson said. “They go into the banks and are so drug-hungry that sometimes they’re not even covering their faces, so we have had a very high success rate with tips from the public.”
Federal regulations require banks to obtain a Financial Institution Bond that covers losses incurred during a robbery.
James R. DeRoberts, a partner at Gardiner Allen DeRoberts, a Columbus insurance agency that works with banks, said the price of the bonds is moderate, but the deductible usually begins at $10,000 and can rise to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In 2010, the 5,628 national robberies averaged $7,643.23 in loot, although FBI officials said the majority of crimes involve closer to $2,000. Because that amount frequently falls below the deductible, banks often suffer the losses.
“That’s why banks spend so much on dye packs and various types of security,” DeRoberts said. “Those losses are typically being absorbed by the banks.”
Solving crimes
During his 29-year FBI career, Trombitas experienced a significant increase in bank security technology.
“I remember back in the ’90s, I would have to wait a week or two (for bank surveillance camera video) because the film had to be shipped and processed,” he said. “(More recently) I would respond to a bank or credit union and they would have images to my BlackBerry even before I got there.”
Because the banks often incur losses from robberies, they are focused on security efforts. In the third quarter of 2011, the most recent FBI data available, banks employed security methods including alarm systems, surveillance cameras, bait money (tracked by serial number), guards, tear gas, dye packs and electronic trackers to combat crime.
In recent years, many banks have posted signs on entrances telling customers to remove hats, sunglasses, hoods or other identity-hiding clothing before they enter the bank.
“Banks are really doing a number of things differently than just 10 years ago,” said James Thurston, spokesman for the Ohio Bankers League.
Those efforts have helped law enforcement officials in their pursuit of the criminals.
The FBI does not publish national statistics on bank robberies solved, but the Dayton area has seen a 78 percent success rate in the past three years.
While the robbers might be caught, the money often is gone for good.
“I’ll hear comments like, ‘Well, the banks are federally insured, so old Uncle Sam will come and reimburse them,’ or that they’ll be made whole,” Trombitas said. “That’s really inaccurate.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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