Small-town banks more at risk

By BRAD DICKERSON
Glasgow Daily Times

September 06, 2008 03:23 pm

— In 2007, small towns across the U.S., had the second-highest number of bank crimes.
Of the 1,609 total violations last year, 574 of them happened at financial institutions in smaller communities, according to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Metropolitan areas had the largest number with 735.
The city of Glasgow is one of those small towns dealing with bank thefts in 2008. In less than two weeks, two branches of South Central Bank - one on U.S. 31E and the other on Happy Valley Road - were struck.
The first incident was Aug. 26, while the second happened Thursday.
In both cases, the perpetrator passed a note demanding money. No suspects have been apprehended.
Capt. Kent Keen, Glasgow Police Department public information officer, said the description they have on the suspect in Thursday’s theft was similar to last week’s.
He said the person was wearing a yellow, long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, a white ball cap and sunglasses. He is a white male, early- to mid-20s and between 5 foot 10 and 6 feet tall.
Both robberies happened between 9 and 11 a.m. In 2007, 391 bank thefts occurred during this time frame, according to the FBI, making it the largest.
There were 870 instance in 2007 where perpetrators passed a note. It was second only to threatening a weapon, which had 1,191 instances.
Threatening to use a weapon includes cases where a weapon was threatened or implied, but never actually observed, according to the FBI.
Anyone with information about the Glasgow robberies should contact the GPD at (270) 651-5151.