(JULY 23, 1997 - Baltimore) - Americans used to look at the "Most Wanted" posters in the Post Office. Then we started watching "America's Most Wanted" on television. Now we can access the Maryland Bankers Association's web site (http://www.mdbankers.com/) at any hour of the night or day, see photos of the region's most wanted bank robbers and read details about their crimes. And anyone who recognizes a thief and tips off the proper authorities can earn up to $3,000.

"Because of the incidence of bank robberies in the metropolitan area, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council's Board of Directors asked the council to create a task force of the banking community and law enforcement agencies to identify and adopt the best practices to deter would-be thieves," said Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, who served as BMC Chair in 1994-95. "One of the things we wanted to do was publicize the fact that most bank robbers are caught, and then find ways to increase the likelihood that they would be caught."

According to Joseph O'Hara, Bank Robbery Supervisor for the FBI, seventy-six percent of bank robberies result in arrest. Agent O'Hara presented this information to Anne Arundel County Executive John Gary, Baltimore County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger, Carroll County Commissioner Donald Dell, Harford County Executive Eileen Rehrmann and Howard County Executive Charles Ecker at the request of Mayor Schmoke.

The idea of using a web site to post pictures of bank robbers came out of the Public Relations Subcommittee of the Bank Robbery Task Force. "The Maryland Bankers Association began developing a web site last fall, and this project fit perfectly with what we were doing," said John B. Bowers, Jr., Executive Vice President of the Maryland Bankers Association. "We were pleased to be able to include this information as a service to our member banks and their customers, and we appreciate the assistance of the FBI and Baltimore City Police in providing the photos and details about these crimes."

"The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is pleased that we were able to bring together people with insight into the bank robbery problem and the resources to help solve it as part of our overall regional crime strategy," said Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker, who serves as BMC Chair. "We want to send the message that criminal activity is not welcome in our community, and that we will work together to overcome these problems and rebuild a safer place to live, work and do business."

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