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.
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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
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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. Douglas D-I1L, to fi
nance a study already un
derway of interest rates,
money supply and govern
ment financing programs.
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