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What Will It Take to Catch Serial Bank Robber?

SCRANTON — Scranton police, state police, and the FBI have been actively investigating the so-called serial bank robber since the robberies began late las...
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SCRANTON -- Scranton police, state police, and the FBI have been actively investigating the so-called serial bank robber since the robberies began late last year, and the Scranton Police Chief says all of those agencies have expended a lot of resources so far.

That's why the chief says he wants banks from all over our area to get together and talk about improving security.

The total is now six robberies at four different banks committed by one man since December.

Scranton police say the so-called serial robber changed his outfit and part of his method Thursday when he held up the Community Bank on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton for the second time.

Investigators don't know if the robber was armed this time or whether he used a getaway car.

Police won't comment on their methods of investigating the string of robberies, but the police chief in Scranton says he wants to meet with area banks about how their security could be improved.

A day after the robbery at Community Bank, the lobby is still closed and short of closing every bank lobby what can banks do to protect themselves?

"You want to get them out as quickly as possible because you don't know, they could be unstable. You don't know what they're up to and what they could do," said Mark Graziadio.

Graziadio is vice president of Honesdale National Bank and says current bank security protocol focuses on employee safety and getting the robber out of the building as quickly as possible.

He admits, though, that all banks could find new security technology to assist in investigations.

Honesdale National Bank hasn't fallen victim to the serial robber,  but it's Montdale location was robbed by someone else late last week. That robber is still at large.

Graziadio says the bank had a repeat offender several years ago forcing Honesdale National to change its security technology.

Honesdale National and NBT Bank participate in an organization of several different banks that meet several times a year about improving security.

"If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you can't expect to get different results, so that's what the security group is looking at. That's what the FBI is looking at as well."

One question many of our viewers have asked: why not just put exploding dye in the stolen money bag? Bank officials tell us that old practice was more trouble than it was worth with the dye often exploding at the wrong time.

One of the banks hit by the serial robber --  NBT Bank -- told us the bank is looking at aggressive ways to improve physical and technical security measures.

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