Bank Robberies Up in Cleveland Area

The FBI is investigating a spike in bank robberies in Cuyahoga County.  Last week, four banks were robbed in one day.  The FBI believes, in that case, it was the work of a single crew.  Assistant Special Agent Todd Wickerham says the agency is also concerned about several other groups and the level of violence in some robberies. In a January incident, a group brought in high powered rifles.  In separate case, a suspect used pepper spray on a bank employee.

Speaking on the WVIZ/PBS public affairs show “Ideas, Wickerham says with technology and collaboration, most of the cases are solved.

“The FBI’s violent crime task force is comprised of FBI agents and local detectives from multiple different agencies including Cleveland and the Sheriff’s Department,” says Wickerham.  “And without that collaboration and being able to investigate together and put these things together and use the intelligence each agency has to address these bank robberies, it would be a much more difficult task.” 

The FBI reports from 2015-2016, 83% of bank robberies in Cuyahoga County were solved.  So far this year, there have been 25 robberies in the region compared to 76 in total last year.