The robbery trend continues
Another payday loan store has been held up by robbers, this time is Waukegan, Ill., near Chicago.
Police say they are seeking two men. The robbery occurred Tuesday shortly before 10 a.m.
What went down
Witnesses say one man waved a gun in the air while another went behind the counter. The man behind the counter then filled a duffel bag with cash.
Before they left, the men bound the employees in the store with zip-ties. After they freed themselves, employees called the police.
Suspect descriptions
The first suspect, who held the gun, is described as a man about 18 to 22 years old. He is about 5 foot 8 and 120 to 130 pounds. He has a dark complexion and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and a black ski mask.
The second man, who went behind the counter, fit a similar description, employees said. He had lighter skin and was wearing a blue sweatshirt with a zipper and dark jeans.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 847-599-2608.
Robberies in neighboring states
This area of the country seems to be a popular place for payday loan store robberies. Last month a pair of thieves robbed a Money Station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Police have not reported any arrest in connection with the robbery, which was six weeks ago.
Way back in mid-January two robbers also held up a payday loan store in Indianapolis, Ind. Police only made one arrest.
Farther away, closer to justice
Some payday loan store robbers, however, do get caught. During the last couple of weeks in January, a string of payday loan store robberies was committed in Spokane, Wash. After four different payday loan stores were robbed, police identified and arrested the suspects.
The suspects, a male and female, were also tied to multiple pharmacy robberies or holdups. The couple was allegedly trying to steal the powerful painkiller oxycontin from the pharmacies.
I think I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but payday loan companies should really think about installing better security systems. These petty thieves are attracted to places like payday loan stores because they have a lot of cash on hand and their security system are not as sophisticated as the ones in banks and credit unions.
There should be better security in a lot of these stores, as it is in the best interest of the owners on all fronts. For one, better security can prevent robberies. For two, if you prevent robberies, you also prevent the chances of an employee getting harmed, and only the really large payday loan companies can afford the cost of a wrongful death suit.