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Police: Robber Struck 15 Banks In Brooklyn, Queens

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- A serial robber is on the loose in Brooklyn, hitting more than a dozen banks.

The bandit, who communicates only by note, is always well-disguised, reports CBS 2's John Slattery.

The bank robber was clad in all black, with a scarf obscuring his face, during a job in January. During another heist, he wore a green jacket and white baseball cap.

He hits mostly Brooklyn banks, and he's still on the loose.

The latest bank job was at a Chase Bank on Flushing Avenue last week. As he had in the other robberies, he passed a note.

"It's the usual kind of bank robbery today – a note-passer, a note case, as this one," Robert McCrie, a professor of protection management at John Jay College, said.

McCrie said it's a low-risk robbery, as the suspect didn't display a weapon.

However, at a robbery at an Apple Bank, the note said he was armed. Apple employee David Williams was working in the bank when the robbery occurred.

"He said he had a gun," Williams said.

The robber has hit 15 banks, mostly Chase, and got money in all but four of the robberies. The total haul was nearly $48,000, an average of about $3,000 per robbery.

"In all 15 cases he has a cap, which makes it difficult for closed circuit cameras to identify him clearly," McCrie said.

As the suspect moved into camera range, he raised a scarf over his face. McCrie said he believes hats and caps should be banned inside banks, which would give cameras a better view of all customers.

"I mean, people shouldn't be allowed to wear hats in banks," he said.

"He had a mask, and that's frightening," bank customer Brandon Bobo said. "At least nobody got harmed or anything."

The bandit is said to be in his 20s or 30s and nearly six feet tall. A description of his face, thanks to the disguises, remains a mystery.

The number of bank robberies has dropped 20 percent over the past decade and 35 percent over the last 20 years.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

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