Evening star., 1931-03-14
BANKS NEED
BETTER PROTECTION
A. B. A. Official Urges More State
Police to Guard Financial
Institutions.

Use by criminals of modern tech
nological developments, such as auto
mobiles, machine guns and airplanes.
have given them advantages which old
fashioned local and disconnected police
systems are powerless to combat, and
the situation demands the broader mod
ern protection of State police systems
James E. Baum, deputy manager, Amer
lean Bankers Association, in charge
Of its crime investigating department,
declares in the current protective sec
tion OF the American Bankers Asso-
ciation Journal
THE associations Protective Conn
mittee has repeatedly urged the ad-
vantages of extending State police sys-
TENS beyond the nine Eastern States
which have enjoyed this protection for
many years." Mr.. Baum says: "The
time has passed when we can safely
rely upon the disconnected and often
times ineffective methods of local and
county police. The advent of automo-
biles and better roads, to say nothing
OF machine guns and airplanes, de-
mands the same wide latitude in au-
thority and field of operation be given
the police no less than the criminal"
He quotes Kansas Judge as saying
that "our system of sheriffs and con-
stables are not designed to meet pres
ent-day conditions. AS a system of Law
enforcem- t it is as out of date as Old
common Law pleading, both evolved
about the same time. The semi-mili-
tary, highly trained State police officer.
owing allegiance only to State laws, is
Lne most effective agency for order yet
brought forth"
Every year the robbery experience
OF banks in the nine States having State
police proves the merits and urgent
need OF Statewide police protection. /"
says Mr.. Baum. Last year. for ex-
ample, there were 38 bank hold-ups in
Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massa-
cnusettS, New Jersey, New York, Penn
sylvan1a, Rhode Island and West Vir-
glnla, Wnere State police forces arc
operated, he continues. although this
total is exceptionally high,> due to an
unprecedented number of robberies in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it is little
more than half the number of DAYLIGHT
bank robberies suffered in 1880 in Tli-
noiS alone. Furthermore, this total of
SO robberies in the nine Eastern States
was exceeded in California, where there
were ~ bank hold-ups, and in Ohio
Wnere banks suffered 40 similar attacks
II we extend the comparison of the
robbery experience in these States en-
1oying Statewide police protection to
the record In eight Central and Far
western States, we find a total Of 304
bank hold-upS in the latter group. The
ODDS, therefore, continue to be not less
than to l against the banks in these
western States, where they are denied
the speedy, co-ordinated action of state
police and their modern means of trans
portation and communication THE
same comparison holds true of the far
mers losses through robberies of live
Stock, poultry, produce, etc.
Moreover, these State police forcas
invariably yield an operating nrofit in
the amount of fines collected and the
value of stolen property recovered
Bankers interested in cutting down the
cost OF robbery insurance might well
consider this job of extending State no
lice systems as a timely, co-operative
service to be undertaken alongside the
farmers" VIC