Bank robberies rose in Pa., statistics show

ERIE, Pa. (AP) -- Despite high-tech security measures and the threat of a lengthy jail term if caught, the number of bank robberies in Pennsylvania rose between 1998 and 2002.
In 1998 there were 236 bank robberies, while there were 365 in 2002, according to the Pennsylvania State Police Uniform Crime Reporting System.
"It's a crime that really does not make sense to me," said Special Agent Bob Rudge, who heads the Erie FBI office. "The chance of getting away is not quite that good."
The benefits are relatively small as well, Rudge said. The average bank robbery nets a person $3,000 to $5,000.
"The money doesn't even come close to a 20-year sentence," Rudge said.
Robbery cases, including bank robbery, tend to increase at times when the economy is bad, Erie Police Capt. James Skindell said.