Robber Makes "Gutsy" Lady's Day (Video)

Here’s a video from TrueTV that I just had to share. In it, Robin, the store manager at a small convenience store, faces off with a would-be robber. After narrowly dodging a bullet, Robin reaches for her gun.

"[W]e looked each other dead in the eye and we were barrel to barrel."

Sadly, the robber got away. And with such poor quality surveillance video, I don't think there is very much for the police to go on.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

The NYPD has their hands full these days -- according to recent news articles, bank robberies are up 26 percent in New York City from this time last year and authorities are scrambling to find a solution.

Seems that some banks are smarter than others, and the same goes for criminals. Many have installed new camera networks and employed increased security efforts to combat the upswing, and robbers are quickly identifying the easier targets from the more challenging. After making three unsuccessful robbery attemps at three different Chase branches, one thief targeted a TD Bank in Midtown and walked off with $1,000. Indeed, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, "TD Banks are the most vulnerable in the city".

The NYPD is also seeking public assistance in catching a suspected bank robber wanted in connection with seven attempts in the past month. During each incident, the suspect has entered the bank, approached the teller, demanded cash and fled on foot. According to reports, he has attempted robberies at Wachovia, HSBC, Chase, Sovereign and Capital One.

I have a feeling I know where he's headed next.

More Security in Soft Focus

Police in Ocala, Florida recently released surveillance photos of this man. He is the suspect in a recent assult and robbery at an area Kwik King.

Have you seen him?
Would you know if you had?

Not very likely.

Connecticut's Facebook for Bank Robbers

New Technology is being used by banks to help prosecute robbers. The Connecticut Bankers Association recently launched a Web site that enables Facebook-like profiling of bank criminals including surveillance photos whenever possible. It’s already generating some interesting results.

As of mid-November, the FBI reported 103 bank robberies in Connecticut this
year, compared to 60 at the same time last year. The FBI says about
41 percent of robberies this year have been solved. Improved technology has
helped to get surveillance photos out to the public almost immediately, but more
could be done.

Great idea, but I am a bigger fan of this particular Internet crime-fighting technology, however.

Another Robbery in Soft Focus

These surveillance photos of a Wilmington robbery suspect just don’t do him justice.

Thief Targets Surveillance Company

A Charleston surveillance technology company was robbed yesterday morning despite cameras and bustling office activity.

"It's very brazen. He came in like 9:38 in the morning with people all over the place," said co-owner Grady Crunk. Crunk says the thief came in through the front door, sat on a couch, apparently plotting his next move. He then got up, went into a nearby room, grabbed a computer monitor and went outside. The burglar hid the monitor under some outside steps, then went back inside to look for more stuff to steal.

I guess not everyone is deterred by video cameras…that, of course, is why we elected to deploy armed robot sentries at 3VR.

Worlds Dumbest Criminals (Liquor Store Edition)

Beware the Cross Dressing Bandit

A cross dressing bandit robbed a check-cashing store in Milwaukee. I am sure these pictures don’t do him/her justice.

Be on the Lookout For?

Toronto police hope their CCTV cameras and surveillance systems will be sufficient to help solve a murder. But with these kinds of pictures, I have my doubts. Meanwhile, back in the US, the images FBI Agents are using to solve a bank robbery aren’t much better.