DENVER (AP) -- The FBI says bank robberies are on the rise in the Denver metro area partly because street gangs are getting involved in heists.
The Denver Post reports 80 bank robberies have been recorded in Denver as of Friday, surging past 64 reported over the same period last year.
Denver FBI spokesman Dave Joly told the newspaper that the increase includes more violent, takeover-style robberies and more robberies linked to gangs who may use them as a rite of passage.
A joint effort of local, state and federal law enforcement called The Safe Street Task Force is working with the Metro Gang Task Force to address the new threat.
Culprits face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. About 85 percent of bank robberies since 2007 have been solved.
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