INDIANAPOLIS — Bank robberies have become more common across Indiana in 2020, according to the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force.
Since the beginning of 2020, the FBI reports there have been 21 bank robberies in the state, compared to seven in 2018 and 2019 during the same time frame. Ten of the robberies have been in the Indianapolis area.
"Bank robberies are not victimless crimes. Nobody has to get shot or hit for there to be long term consequences," FBI special agent Steven Secor. "I have seen tellers, bank tellers who are the victims of robberies never go back to work in the banking industry."
Secor said the FBI generally sees more bank robberies after the holidays, and the spike this year is also due to at least two serial robbers, including 25-year-old James Taylor.
"Knowing who this individual is and knowing what his history is, we would like to put an end to his robbery spree," Secor said.
Investigators believe Taylor is responsible for at least six bank robberies, including one at the CIBM Bank in the 5100 block of East 82nd Street.
"He's also an individual that does a little bit of his homework," Secor said. "We have a couple of banks we believe he's been casing. We have made our banking partners aware. Our first priority is the safety of the public."
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Senior vice president of government relations for the Indiana Bankers Association Dax Denton said bank employees constantly train to prepare for a bank robbery.
"The real two key takeaways for us is teller knowledge, about how to Identify behavior or perceived threats, and then having a checklist of a risk assessment and how to manage that before the robbery happened, while the robberies going on and then what to do afterwards," Denton, a former bank teller, said.
The FBI has made several arrests in bank robbery cases this year, and they hope to get the community's help in finding Taylor before another bank is robbed.
"What would you want done if one of your friends or family was a victim of a crime?" Secor said.
Anyone with information about a bank robbery can call the FBI at 317-595-4000 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
Bank robberies in Central Indiana in 2020
Information provided by FBI
- Jan. 2: Fifth Third Bank, 8549 N. College Ave., Indianapolis
- Jan. 13: Regions Bank, 6910 S. Emerson Ave, Indianapolis
- Jan. 18: Location not available, Indianapolis
- Jan. 25: First Merchants Bank, 1202 N. Park Ave., Alexandria
- Jan. 25: Chase Bank, 8858 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis
- Jan. 27: Location not available, Indianapolis
- Jan 28: Regions Bank, 7447 E 116th St., Fishers
- Feb. 6: Chase Bank, 3501 Lafayette Rd., Indianapolis
- Feb. 11: Bank of America 4155 S. East St. Indianapolis (attempted robbery)
- Feb. 12: CIBM Bank, 5120 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis
