Madison police responded to yet another robbery May 24, marking the fourth attack the city has seen on a variety of banks in recent weeks.
'While the exact amounts taken from each bank have not been released, Madison police said 'large amounts of U.S. currency have been taken at each robbery.'
Mary Hanneman, spokesperson for the UW Credit Union, whose branch at 4101 Commercial Ave. was robbed May 24, said employees receive extensive training for a variety of situations.
'We have specific procedures that they're supposed to undertake when a robber is in front of them,' Hanneman said.
She also stressed the credit union offers emotional support for any employees who are involved in an incident.
'I don't think our employees are particularly worried about it,' Hanneman said.
Police believe the most recent incident is not connected to the previous robberies.
'There is no indication that these are all tied together,' said Madison Public Information Officer Mike Hanson.
The suspect of the most recent robbery was unarmed and described as a 'white male in his late 40s to early 50s.' In contrast, police said the three previous robberies were committed by a different individual, who appears to be on a crime spree,
'He did three banks in nine days,' Hanson said, 'and we think he's going to hit again.'
According to police reports, the suspect in the previous robberies 'is a Hispanic male, short with a thin build, [and is seen] always wearing a bandana over his face.' So far, the suspect had wielded a large silver handgun in all of his robberies.
Two Associated Bank branches have been hit by the masked robber. Mike Purtell, security officer for Associated Bank, said there has been a noticeable increase in bank robberies in 2006.
'Last year, the city had a few compared to the start of this year which has been quite aggressive,' Purtell said.
Perpetrators demand money in a variety of ways, from passing a note to actually brandishing a weapon. For their own protection, most banks to do not release their specific security tactics, but safety is the primary concern.
'It varies from bank to bank,' said Jon Schulz, security manager for the Capital Square Branch of US Bank. 'First of all, just give them what they want and deal with it later.'
Purtell of Associated Bank agreed that safety comes before money.
'Any time you're dealing with the public and you're dealing with money, that's always a concern,' Purtell said. 'That's why we train and do everything we can to make sure everyone is safe, including the customers.'
