With bank robberies a pretty common occurrence these days, the FBI has decided to launch a new campaign seeking public help on the numerous bandits wandering around. The new Bandit Tracker website serves as sort of a clearing house for information on recent robberies and wanted bandits including location, descriptions, and - in most cases - photos of the bandits as well. the site also boasts a map feature that helps in looking for patterns. The FBI, CPD, and Cook County Sheriff's office worked with Dallas-based Electronic Tracking Systems (ETS) on the website. [via our pal Jeff Coen] more ›

The FBI says that the number of bank robberies in Chicago this year (220 to date) is on pace to surpass 2007 numbers (226), but probably won’t surpass the record number set in 2006 (284). They also reported that the number of robberies has spiked in the last two to three weeks, and the incidents are becoming increasingly dangerous. Apparently, it’s no coincidence that the number of bank robberies is on the rise as the economy is tanking. Crimes like muggings and ATM hold-ups also increase during times of economic strife. The Sun-Times reported Tuesday that police are focusing crime fighting in areas hit hardest by foreclosures. "Abandoned buildings breed crime," police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Officers in the Troubled Buildings Unit have been identifying abandoned properties, patrolling them to keep gangs, vandals and other criminals out and getting the city involved in dealing with the owners, Bond said. more ›

The Chicago Bandits, our National Pro Fastpitch franchise, recently announced they are moving their from Lisle to Elgin. For the next three years the team will call Judson University their home. The university is making enhancements to a stadium to allow seating for 2,000, and the city of Elgin is considering building a stadium for the Bandits that could be ready by 2011. Two of the six teams in the National Pro Fastpitch league will... more ›