During a meeting Thursday, members of the North Carolina Bankers Association, Raleigh Police, and a prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Office announced the number of bank robberies has gone down since 2007, despite the recent rash of robberies.
"The public has been instrumental in helping us come down," said Raleigh Police Detective B. C. Scioli. "We do get a majority of tips in immediately after a bank robbery and 9 out of 10 times, that helps us solve the case."
On Tuesday, Durham Police captured a man with suspected stolen bank money stuffed inside his clothing, minutes after he allegedly robbed a BB&T bank branch.
Investigators said they believed the man also robbed other banks in Durham within the last three weeks.
There are several bank robberies that remain unsolved around the Triangle, including one in Selma where a man was seen in surveillance video handing a bank teller a note demanding money before walking out.
"Regrettably, as the holiday season comes upon us, that number may increase," said Jane Jackson, with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Police said while the majority of robberies happened without customers or other employees noticing -- like in Selma where someone was handed a note -- the public still needs to be cautious.
"I think that the public needs to be very aware of their surroundings," Scioli said. "They need to be cautious. They also need to keep their eyes open. If they're near a bank or they're around a bank and they see something, they need to report it."
Officials also said customers need to be careful about where they park, and what time of day it is when they go to the bank.
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