NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- A rash of bank robberies in New York has the city 's police commissioner worried that criminals have turned banks into `` virtual cash machines '' and some wondering whether tough economic times are fueling the trend . A surveillance camera captures a bank robbery suspect in New York on December 2 . On Monday alone , robbers targeted five banks in the Big Apple , some striking in broad daylight and near famous landmarks . Police called the incidents unrelated , but they 're just the latest examples of the growing tally of hold-ups . Bank robberies in New York have risen 54 percent compared with last year , with criminals committing more than 430 in the past 12 months , according to the New York police department . `` As it stands now , they 've turned [ banks ] into virtual cash machines , '' New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said . Bank robberies are also up in many areas across the country , including San Diego , California , and Houston , Texas , federal law enforcement experts told CNN . It 's enough for some to link the trend to the rash of layoffs , the plummeting stock market and the bust in the real estate values , all of which have left many Americans in dire financial straits . `` It makes me think that the recession is making people go to extreme measures , '' a woman who frequents one of the banks robbed Monday told The New York Times . Watch where the robbers struck » . But Kelly said it 's not clear whether the bad economic times are fueling the unusual spike . `` People want to say ... it 's because of the economy . I think it 's too early to make that statement , '' he said . CNN security analyst Mike Brooks agreed , adding that although there are typically many bank robberies during the holidays , there are no data to suggest that any recent spike was caused by the economy . Another expert said it 's possible that the difficulty of finding a job right now may be a factor , but he doubted that law-abiding citizens are turning to crime to make ends meet . `` It 's hard to attribute the bank robberies to people who were let go from Lehman Brothers or other organizations that are in trouble , '' said Alfred Blumstein , who has researched criminal justice for 20 years and is a professor of operations research at Carnegie Mellon University 's Heinz College . `` I would anticipate that people who rob banks have been involved with crime before because that 's not where one is likely to start , '' Blumstein said . A person who might turn to robbing banks is someone in their late teens or early 20s who has already broken the law and has decided to move on to a bigger target , he added . `` Bank robbery is a very high-risk activity , because most banks have various surveillance equipment in place , and it requires a degree of aggressiveness that otherwise law-abiding folks are not likely to take on , '' Blumstein said . Some officials say the modern , customer-friendly design of banks -- with easy access to tellers and cash -- is too tempting for robbers . `` We do n't like the business plan that makes a bank look like a living room , '' Kelly said `` We [ advise ] just some common sense provisions , such as so-called bandit barriers , so that tellers have some option to act when somebody puts a note in front of them . '' In fact , bank robbers have simply handed tellers a note in a vast majority of hold-ups in New York . Kelly put the figure at 80 percent and added that although the rest of the robbers claimed to have a gun , many did n't actually show it . Mike Smith , president and CEO of the New York Bankers Association , is meeting with the NYPD to see what more can be done to discourage robbers . He said banks have a significant amount of security , some of which may not be visible to the public . `` Are there enhancements ? Obviously . Criminals talk to each other , they know what 's going on , but typically they are apprehended , '' Mike Smith said . CNN 's A. Pawlowski contributed to this report .
Bank robberies in NEW YORK have risen 80 percent compared with Monday . On last year alone , robbers targeted one banks , some striking in broad daylight . NYPD : Not clear whether the bad economic times are fueling the spike . Expert doubts law-abiding citizens are turning to crime to make ends meet .