There is no telling when an innocent trip to the bank can land you in the middle of a stick-em-up. A threat here, a wave of a gun there, and the robbers flee before you can say “show me the money!” If only there was a convenient way to inform the police when a robbery is in progress. Thanks to the FBI, there is now an app for that.
The new app, dubbed FBI Bank Robbers was launched on both iOS and Android. It includes details and photos of bank robbers who are recently involved in robberies across the country. The basic premise of the application is to make it convenient for law enforcement agencies, banks and the general public to know about such incidents.
How the App Works
The FBI Bank Robbers app is available for free download on Google Play and Apple’s app store. It basically enables users to know about unknown bank robbers sought by the Federal Investigation Bureau, but it only works if the details of these criminals have already been entered into BankRobbers.fbi.gov. This website was launched by the FBI in 2012 and contains a digital gallery of unknown serial offenders. It is a pretty neat way for the Bureau to gain public assistance in identifying these criminals and the app version makes it easier.
The application contains surveillance photos and detailed data about unknown criminals based on –
- Their physical appearance
- Wanted posters
- The date they committed their crime
- Whether they were armed or unarmed
- The state where they committed their crimes
- The FBI field office in charge of the case
Moreover, there is also a handy feature that gives users quick access to the Bureau’s online tips webpage. Anyone who has information regarding recent robberies or suspects can use this feature to inform the FBI about what they know. Additionally, a map displays geographical details of robberies nearby. People can also use the push button notification that informs them when a bank robbery occurs near their area.
According to the chief of FBI’s Violent Crimes Unit in Washington, “…we focus our investigative sources on those suspects who pose the greatest security threats to the public…and our new Bank Robbers mobile app is another tool we can use to help mitigate those threats.”
To make the app experience light, criminals in the database are given quirky names like “Nomad Bandit” and “Bad Rug Bandit.” But users are warned; while the app does seem like a fun way to inform authorities of suspicious activities, the FBI warns that it is no toy as is clear from this announcement, “Because the FBI, in its own bank robbery investigations, focuses on the most violent and/or the most prolific serial offenders who often cross jurisdictions, the suspects included on BankRobbers.fbi.gov are a dangerous lot and public assistance in identifying them plays a crucial role in our efforts to apprehend them.”
One of the suspects is “Attila the Bun”, a female suspect so named because her hair has always been in a bun during the four bank robberies she carried out in North Seattle since June.
An app that publicizes unknown robbery suspects makes it easy for the general public to alert authorities about robbery suspects sought by the FBI. FBI Bank Robbers was launched earlier this month and is free to download online.
Get the app on the Play Store here
Author Bio: Terrence Marone is an experienced researcher in a research and development company. Currently, he is researching on latest trends of iPhone app development. He likes to research on latest technology and share with public through different online channels.
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