As stats for 2009 continue to roll in, one bright spot is that bank robberies in the City of Chicago were down 30 percent last year over 2008's inordinately high number. 2008's total of 277 robberies fell just short of the city's record - 284 in 2006 - but the unofficial tally from 2009 currently stands at 190, the FBI told WBBM; an official number for 2009 should be released within the next week. Earlier this year, the FBI, CPD, and Cook County Sheriff's office worked with Dallas-based Electronic Tracking Systems (ETS) to create the Bandit Tracker to help spread information on area robberies. more ›

If it seems like there have been a lot of bank robberies recently, well, it's because there have been: bank robberies here have been happening at record paces the last several years. But now the Chicago FBI is adding a new statistic to brag about: most bank robberies solved. So far in 2008, 34 people have been arrested in connection to over 100 robberies. Overall, 2008's robberies are down (160) compared to this time last year (168), a drop officials have credited to the arrest of serial robbers like the Second Hand Bandit. Chicago also ranks first among strange serial robber nicknames. more ›

The jig may be up for alleged serial bank robber, Scott “Time Bandit” Carlberg. Orland Park native Carlberg, 44, found himself at the center of a police bust Wednesday after the FBI linked him to a TCF Bank branch robbery that occurred in New Lenox early February 2007. more ›