Five Bank Robberies in One Day

The uptick in bank robberies has been chalked up to the friendly bank branches, but let's face it: It's also the economy, stupid! The NY Times frames its story about increasing bank robberies with the five bank robberies across the city: In Manhattan, the TD Bank at 62nd & Broadway; in the Bronx, a WaMu on Westchester Avenue; in Queens, an HSBC in Long Island City (43rd Ave); and in Brooklyn, the Valley National Bank on Avenue J ("near the border between Flatbush and Midwood") and the Sovereign Bank on Manahttan Ave in Greenpoint. A former banking executive says, "It's well documented that during a recession, bank robberies go up. But also, this time of the year is the busiest time for bank robberies. So you combine those two together and it becomes a dangerous time for bank employees."