Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Bank robbery

society Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A bank robbery is a crime where someone steals money from a bank. This happens when people use force or threats to take things of value. This is different from burglary, which is entering a building to steal. In the United States, bank robbery is a federal crime. Most robberies happen in cities or towns. This is because many bank branches are close together in urban areas. These locations offer many paths for a robber to escape. However, cities also help the police respond very quickly. Most robberies happen during the day with many witnesses nearby.

Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12762, Banküberfall
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12762, Banküberfall

Many robberies are actually quite quiet. Most do not look like the violent scenes in movies. Instead, they are often called "note jobs." In these cases, a person simply hands a note to a teller. The note asks for money while trying to avoid attention. Because of this, other customers in the bank might not even know a crime is happening. Most banks have a policy to avoid violence. They will usually hand over the money to keep everyone safe. This helps prevent injuries, which only happen in about two percent of U.S. robberies.

Ordener attack
Ordener attack

History shows that bank robberies have changed over many years. In 1798, a theft occurred at the Bank of Pennsylvania. Later, in 1831, two men used fake keys to empty a vault in New York. In 1828, five men even tunneled through a drain to reach a bank in Australia. Some robberies were very large and famous. For example, the Manhattan Savings Institution was robbed in 1878. In 1907, a robbery in the Russian Empire involved many injuries and deaths. These events show how people have tried to take bank money for a long time.

Hearst-hibernia-yell
Hearst-hibernia-yell

As technology improved, so did the ways people committed crimes. In 1909, robbers in Santa Clara used a motor car to escape. This was one of the first times a car was used in a robbery. In 1911, the Bonnot Gang used a car to reach a bank deposit courier. These were the first motorized robberies in history. Later, security cameras changed how police worked. In 1957, a camera at a Cleveland bank recorded a robbery. The police used the film to identify and catch the people involved. In 1984, a thief even used a stolen helicopter to escape in Louisiana.

Ordener attack
Ordener attack

Famous people and groups are often linked to bank robberies. During the 1920s and 1930s, robberies increased in the United States. This led to the creation of the FBI to catch criminals. Some gangs, like the Barrow Gang, became very well known. The government even gave the name "Public Enemy" to some wanted criminals. People like Jesse James and Ned Kelly became famous figures in history. These stories show how bank robberies have shaped laws and how police work today. We see how technology and new tools always change the way these events happen.

481 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12762, Banküberfall.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12762, Banküberfall.jpg
File:Hearst-hibernia-yell.jpg
Hearst-hibernia-yell.jpg
File:Ordener attack.jpg
Ordener attack.jpg
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.