Grand Rapids police say a thief got away with cash after robbing the Lake Michigan Credit Union on Leonard Street NE Monday morning just after 9:30.
The suspect implied having a gun and fled before police arrived.
The exact amount stolen is not being disclosed at this time.
According to FBI statistics, bank robberies are now relatively rare, down 85% from their peak in 1992 at more than 9500 nationwide.
2023 shows more than 1,300 bank robberies or burglaries across the U.S. with 40 in Michigan.
Nationally, 54 involved acts of violence that included firing a gun, use of explosives, assault or hostage-taking.
Reasons for the decline include more advanced security systems, more digital transactions that mean less cash available on-site, and the risk and complexity of physically robbing a bank.
FBI data is not yet released for 2024, but there were bank robberies in Bay City, Grand Rapids and Sand Lake.
Arrests have been made in each of those cases.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
