IDAHO FALLS - Since June of 2008, Southeastern Idaho has seen 11 armed robberies, 5 of which are banks.

Robberies in Inkom and American Falls were only separated by 3 months.

Three of the targets were Zions Banks; including the Ammon branch which was hit twice in a year's time.

But if these banks had security, chances are, they wouldn't have been robbed in the first place.

"Anytime you have a security guard and there's someone in a business with a weapon, someone that walks in there ready to rob it, to me that would definitely be a deterrent," explains Sgt. Phil Grimes of the Idaho Falls Police Department.

Sargent Grimes explains it's up to each bank or business to hire security. And if they did, it would definitely help local police.

"That's not to say that crime wont happen or someone might not try to rob a bank with a security guard, but they have to be aware that it's a lot more dangerous if they try that," says Grimes.

Today I made phone calls to Zion's corporate offices to see if they had plans to hire security. I was told by their public relations department, they had no comment on the matter.

With an increasing population entering the Snake River Valley each year, police expect crime rates to rise as well. Making banks with no security an increased target.

"I know there are places around that have security guards in bigger cities and obviously that would be a harder target to hit. Its just like terrorism, they want to go for a soft target rather than something that's difficult," says Grimes.

Police have been able to catch more criminals thanks to modern advances in surveilance. However, 5 business robberies went unsolved just last year in Idaho Falls.

The suspect in yesterday's robbery in Rexburg is still on the loose.