It often takes a brazen personality to commit a criminal act, particularly one that is done right in front of a crowd.  There is a disregard for the lives of others and also, apparently, for the possibility of getting caught.  I have spent a good part of my adult educational focus studying the psychology of men and women who commit acts of violence and, despite all that I have learned, I continue to be intrigued and challenged by their behaviors and choices.   

Take, for instance, the method that alleged robber Charles Burnett used to steal a large amount of money.  He did not steal from one location and then plan his next effort at a bank far away, in order to minimize the chance of being recognized and face a likely increased police presence.  No, instead Burnett decided to return to the exact same bank not just two, but three days in a row. 

Each time he showed up at the Sovereign Bank in downtown Manhattan, he passed a note to the teller demanding money and indicating that he had a gun.  Over the course of his three threatening visits, he managed to collect tens of thousands of dollars.  The police grabbed him after this third event, as they recognized him from the posters that were now hanging on their precinct walls.  Burnett is now charged with three counts of robbery.

Not that I want to offer advice to a criminal, but wouldn’t it make more sense not to return to the scene of your crime so fast?  Employees don’t tend to have that fast of a turnover at banks; you will be recognized.  And, I have to imagine that New York City is not short on bank locations.  But again, this is a reason why I find criminal behavior fascinating.  Somehow Charles Burnett thought his plan was a good idea, and now he is sitting in jail.

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Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting