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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1959)
Rising Trend of Crimes Against Banks Alarms Law Profession Editor's note: There ai an in crease last year of 43 per cent in the number of bank robberies. The trend still Is upward. The head of the FBI discusses In the following dispatch what the banks themselves and what eyewitnesses to robberies can do to help law enforcement acenciei cope with the problem. By JOHN EDGAR HOOVER Wriilen for UPI Washington-dTD - America's law enforcement profession is becoming increasingly alarm ed at the rising trend of crimes against banks and banking type institutions. Last year, more violations of the f ederdal bank robbery statute were committed than ever before and, barring a re versal of the trend for Jan uary and February of 1959, another new record is in the making. During 1958, there were 7u4 violations of the federal bank robbery statute an increase of 43 per cent over the num ber reported in 1957. Included among these were 416 robber ies, 206 burglaries and 82 lar cenies of banks and savings and loan associations covered by federal law. Robberiei May Soar The early weeks of 1959 have witnessed a continuation of the rise in these crimes. Barring a sharp reversal o! the present trend, at least 800 assaults upon banking institu tions will be reported to the FBI for investigation this year and the figure may soar even higher than. that. The certainty of swift inden ization and apprehension re mains one of the most ef fective deterrents of these crimes. In this regard, the law enforcement profession has demonstrated its effec tiveness time and again. "Less- than-one-a-day" solutions of bank robberies-with recovery of the entire loot-have become common occurences. Last year on federal courts alone, 411 convictions were returned un der the federal bank robbery statute; and many other bank bandits were convicted in state courts. Every person who entrusts his money to a bank or savings and loan association has the right to expect that: 1-The physcial facilities of the institution do not "invite" assults by robbers, burglaries or sneak thieves. In this re gard, the mere presence of burglar alarms, armed guards, steel gratings and the like has discouraged many potential bank bandits. 1 2-The bank has a positive security program for prevent ing criminal assaults. For example, all doors and win dows should be double check ed before the bank is closed for the day; suspicious persons seen loitering in or near the i bank should be reported; back ground inquiries should be made concerning all prospec tive bank employees; currency and securities should not be left in a place accessible to others when a teller leaves his post; the minimum amount of cash necessary for handling immediate transactions should j be kept in tellers' cash draw I ers; and unnecessary routines ! should be avoided so that the actions of bank personnel do not follow the same predict able pattern. In the vast majority of viola tions of the federal bank rob bery statute there are eyewit nesses to the crime. These wit nesses can be of great assist ance if they will: 1-Remain as calm as pos sible under the circumstances. "Cool-headed" persons are more observant and less likely to jeopardize their own lives and the lives of others. 2-Be observant. Form a de tailed mental picture of the criminal. Notice their man nerisms, peculiarities, cloth ing, scars or other unusual markings, and the like. If pos sible, without unnecessary risk, obtain a description of the getaway car or other mode of travel used by the bandits. 3-Telephone the FBI as soon as possible. The telephone number of the nearest FBI office is listed on the first page of each telephone direc tory across the nation. 4- Preserve the crime scene. Do not touch anything in the portions of the bank where the bandits have been. Valu able items of evidence-including some particles which are invisible to the naked eye- may accidentally be destroyed. 5-Until they have been in terviewed by the investigating officers, eyewitnesses should refrain from "comparing notes" concering the crime or discussing its details with other persons. Law enforce ment officers prefer to have the independent recollection of each witness. MAIL TRIBUNE, Mcdford, Oregon, Tuesday, March 24, X9S9 1 SALE ENDS SATURDAY a. ffy m ty a r 117 S. Central SP 3-7301 OPEN MONDAYS Until 9 SP3 5 The Family Council Editor's note. The F-uillv Council consists ol a tndee a Dsvchlatrtst. three clergymen, a newspapei editor a women's editor and two writers, i Each article Is a summary of an actual report. The Family Council does not five advice; it merely report on problems that have been dealt with by responsible agencies and onnselora. Edgar J. She always has to have the last word. June J. He resents my thinking for myself. Edgar J. My wife and I are in our mid-20s and have been married nearly a year. We are quite happy, but we have one problem and I am airaia tnat it will give us trouble in time. June always has to have the last word in everything. If we have a discussion about any subject under the sun, no matter what proof is put before her, June will always wind up either saying that the authorities don't really know what they are talking about or that she was misun derstood she meant some thing just a little different from what I thought. She is the same way with our friends and I feel that it hurts our social life. At times I have even provoked her in to taking a silly position just N0RF1ELD SHOE CO. "Southern Oregon's Oldest Shoe Concern" 221 East Main Phone SP 2-2123 Black Patent 195 " "ife Black Patent 1195 Beautiful . Red Cross Snoes tnat make you glad Easter is early! Here are just two of our beautiful, wonder-fitting Red Cross Shoes. Come pick yours while our brand new Easter collection is complete. Largest selling brand of fine footwear in the tcorld. Styles from 10.95 to 13J95 TVs product has no connection whatever with The American National Red Quo to see if she would stand by it and she does! June J. it's true that I am quite argumentative, but then I really am usually right. I make a special point of get ting the facts about things. Most people are willing to rush into discussions without having the real facts. If I do say so myself, I read quite a lot, and always very informative things. I don't waste time on junk. Even with TV programs, I always select the best, the most edu cational. The fact is that I am really more serious -minded than Eddie and he resents it when I "show off" what I know. But I wish he would show off too and get in the habit ! f of doing some reading. He thinks all discussion is just nonsense and never wants to take anything seriously. He resents my thinking for my self. He won't think at all. 2 The Council: We sympa thize with both parties here. We are all for more think ing, reading, serious discus sion and getting the facts straight, but we believe June may have terrorized her hus band by going at it hammer and tongs and by her refusal to admit any possibility of error or weakness on her side. She has made the art cf discussion a contest-to-the-death with her husband. The goal is to win the argument rather than to gain more in sight and knowledge. It is true that some indi viduals insist upon that "last word." Underneath such peo ple have a great lack of self confidence and feel that their ego stands or falls on their ability to come out "right" in an argument. The fact that June seeks the arguments in dicates that she has constant need for this reassurance to her ego. We think that June can de velop a genuine self-confidence by laming to discuss issues properly. It will take discipline and self-control for her at first, for she will have to really listen to and weigh the other side. When she ha? developed the ability to con fess error and to learn from her opponent she will gain strength based in reality and will lose her need for a false blowing up of her ego. Edgar can probably help in this process by showing that he is interested in serious dis cussion but only with a fair finded partner. (Copyright 1959, General Features Corp.) i m m m Anti-Inflation Study Fund Voted Washington -(CPU The Sen ate Monday voted $200,000 for a sweeping study of anti inflation measures after Dem ocratic Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (Tex.) termed infla tion a problem "second only to the issue of national sur vival." - Approval was by voice vote with no audible opposition. In urging the funds, John son attacked the Eisenhower administration's high interest rate policy a s "surrender without a struggle." The money will be used by the House-Senate Economic Committee, headed by Sen. Paul H. 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