RALEIGH  -- The North Carolina Bankers Association (NCBA) announced the state saw a 27.2 percent decrease in bank robberies reported to the FBI since December 2013. This data, among others, was released at the NCBA’s annual Robbery Reward Press Conference Friday, in an effort to continue to decrease bank robberies statewide.

The data, shared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), included the total number of bank robberies reported to the FBI statewide, number of robberies per month, the banks and communities impacted by robberies in 2013 and the time of day of the robbing. As of November 30, 2014, there was a total of 91 bank robberies in North Carolina.

The press conference was led by Terry Huskey, chairman of the NCBA Security Committee, which is designed to consider and determine bank robbery rewards. Rewards may be given to individuals who give information leading to the indictment or conviction of bank robbers. Reward amounts are determined by the Security Committee and based upon written recommendations of the FBI and North Carolina law enforcement officials.

“Bank robberies continue to be a statewide and national issue of importance,” said Huskey. “Although the frequency of bank robberies continue to decrease for the most part, it is critical that we do everything we can to bring this number lower and lower year after year.”

A major focus of the press conference was informing the public and attending media how they can assist the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in the apprehension of individuals who commit such crimes. The arrest of suspected bank robbers and the conviction of individuals who commit such heists are tributes to the effectiveness of the continuing join efforts of the FBI, other law enforcement agencies, the state’s banking industry, NCBA and the public to reduce or eliminate this serious crime.