FBI director plans to add resources to Houston crime unit

FBI Director James Comey delivers remarks during a press conference at the FBI Houston building on Thursday, March 19, 2015, in Houston. FBI Director James Comey delivers remarks during a press conference at the FBI Houston building on Thursday, March 19, 2015, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 36 Caption Close FBI director plans to add resources to Houston crime unit 1 / 36 Back to Gallery

FBI James Comey, in town Thursday to meet with top local and state law enforcement officials, talked about international terrorism, took questions about murder suspect Robert Durst and discussed Houston's violent crime problem.

Comey was asked about the agency's role in the Durst investigation, but he would not comment.

The director's visit to Houston was the second since he was appointed FBI director in September 2013. He previously served as a deputy U.S. attorney general and worked in the military defense and financial services fields after a career as a federal prosecutor.

Comey discussed the shifting threat that international terrorism is presenting to local law enforcement as the methods of radicalization over the Internet increase.

He also said he had been studying and been briefed on Houston's robbery rates, which lead the nation in several categories.

The most disturbing numbers involve armed bank robberies by teams of criminals. Forty percent of bank robberies in Houston in 2014 happened under those circumstances, far above the national average.

Houston also leads the country in the number of robberies of commercial establishments. There were 1,400 in 2013, 300 more than Los Angeles, which had the next highest amount.

The FBI analyzed crime data to come up with the rankings.

Comey said the agency was adding resources to Houston's violent crime task force.

He said he wanted to "send a message that this is not a good way to try and make money because you will end up in federal prison for the rest of your natural life if we catch you engaged in commercial robberies and these takeover bank robberies."