In a bad economy, bank robberies increase   A noticeable
increase in bank robberies in New Hampshire makes perfect sense
to Russell Conte, a major in the New Hampshire State Police who
for years chased bank robbers as the head of the state's Major
Crime Unit."When business is slow," he said, "law enforcement is
busy." Last year, the FBI reported 11 bank robberies in New
Hampshire. So far this year, the unofficial count far surpasses
that. According to media accounts, there were over a dozen bank
heists since February alone, and the winter holiday season
usually proves to be a busy one.The vast majority of the
robberies were acts of desperation made by people driven mad by
addictions - usually drugs or gambling, said Conway Police Lt.
Chris Perley."The economy affects the drug trade," said Perley,
who is in the midst of investigating the mid-July heist at a
Northway Bank in North Conway. "People don't stop using them
(drugs) when they can't afford them." To pay for their habit,
some hastily look to banks as a