NC Bankers and the FBI escalate war on bank robbers

The FBI and the North Carolina Bankers Association have teamed up to make life harder for bank robbers. End Quote

Edward Aycock, SVP NC Bankers Association said, "We hoped the web site would increase the odds against bank robbers.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) January 29, 2010 - The FBI and the North Carolina Bankers Association have joined forces to launch a new weapon to wage war on bank robbers.
In December 2009, the FBI and NCBA unveiled a new web site, www.ncbankrobbers.com, as way to quickly get the word out when a bank robbery occurs. The web site is designed to provide information about the cases by including photographs, videos and other important details about the robbery.

When the new web site was launched, officials expressed the hope it would reduce bank robberies. Edward Aycock, SVP and Regulatory Counsel with the NC Bankers Association said, "We hoped the web site would increase the odds against bank robbers. But the results have exceeded our expectations. It looks like we're on to something."

Aycock is referring to the recent arrest of the so-called "Bearcat Bandit." According to press reports, only minutes after he attempted a robbery at a BB&T office in Mocksville, NC last Christmas Eve, a witness recognized the robber from the newly-launched website and called the police. The robber was promptly arrested at a local gas station and now faces multiple state and federal changes.

The arrest of the Bearcat Bandit made him the fifth suspect featured on the website to be captured since the website was launched less than 6o days ago.

Details to be found on www.ncbankrobbers.com

The web site provides a lot of information about bank robberies in North Carolina: pictures and videos plus the address of the bank, the date of the crime and a contact number you can call if you recognize someone from the pictures. It also shows a "captured" list where you can see offenders who have been arrested thanks to this site. There's a "submit a tip" link you can click on if you have any information, and a link to the North Carolina rewards program. The North Carolina Bankers Association offers rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of anyone who robs a North Carolina bank.

About the North Carolina Bankers Association
The North Carolina Bankers Association is a trade association of the 140 banks, savings institutions and trust companies that are headquartered or have branches in North Carolina.

The Association has served its members since 1897 and can be found on the Web at http://www.ncba.com.

http://www.ncbankers.org

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