Bank Robberies Hit 10-Year Low, but L.A. Still Leads Nation

Bank robberies hit a decade low in Southern California last year, but despite the improvement, Los Angeles retained its dubious distinction as the robbery capital of the nation, with bandits using more violence to commit their crimes.

The 1,122 robberies committed throughout Southern California last year represented a 7% decline over the previous year, FBI spokesman John Hoos said. Takeover robberies--in which armed thieves hold a bank’s customers and employees hostage as opposed to confronting a lone teller--also dropped by 10% to 185.

Despite the decline, the amount of violence used to carry them out rose, with more shots being fired inside the banks and more customers and employees being assaulted or robbed.