Evening star., 1932-11-02
|DR|VE ON BANDITS
PLANNED BY POLICE
land BUSINESS MEN
Detective Chief Burke Asks
Bankers Association for
Cooperation.
AZ OFFICERS CANVASS
CITY FOR SURVEY
Strengthening of Locks, Inspec-
tions and Other Precautionary
Methods Considered.

The first step in concerted move
by bankers, business men, generally,
and police to stem the tide of hold ups
and burglaries in the city was taken
today by Assistant Superintendent Of
Police Frank S. w. Burke when he
asked the District Bankers Association
for its cooperation at a luncheon in
the Willard Hotel.
Burke, who has charge of the Detec-
tive Bureau. pointed out that police in
any city are handicapped in suppress
ing organized crime unless they have
the fullest cooperation from the
victims of the criminals.
The detective chief, with the in
dorsement of Superintendent E. w.
Brown. has worked out plan whereby
police are to work with financial in
stitutions, business houses, hotels and
apartment owners in an effort to stop
all kinds of robberles
Beginning this morning, some az uni
formed policemen are making a can
vaSs Of the various banking and busi-
ness institutions to see what precau-
tionary measures have been and can
be taken TO thwart robbers and house
breakers.
Will Strengthen Locks.
In addition, some II precinct de-
tectives will go TO the various apart
ment houses and hotels to consult pro-
prietors with a view TO having good
locks placed on doors and other pre-
cautionary measures taken to reduce
the many housebreakings and cases Of
Jimmy thievery.
The uniformed men from the various
precincts forming the liaisons with the
banking and business institutions are
headed by a sergeant in each instance.
In the downtown section a sergeant and
four priyates have been assigned from
each precinct in the area to make the
survey, while in some of the less active
business sections d sergeant and two or
three prlvates constitute the precinct
detail for this purpose.
In letter TO the presidents of bank
ing houses, which resulted in the in
vitatiOn to speak at the luncheon today,
Assistant Supt Burke introduced De-
tective SergtS. Frank o. Brass and Floyd
TruScott, who, he says, are to explain
protective measures against hold-ups.
Among the factors of safety which will
be considered is the disposition Of
money during and after business hours.
Police will recommend that only small
amount of money be kept in the cash
registers of business houses, especially
during the evening when hold-ups and
robberies are most likely to be COM
nitted
Inspections to Be Urged.
Police will urge that an inspection
be made by proprietCrS Of business es-
adjustments of their doors. windows,
transoms, trapdoors and safes, in CO.
operation with police TO see if they are
secure against entry by criminals.
A report of the survey made by the
uniformed men and detectives is to be
submitted to Inspector Burke each Sun
day morning. The report is to include
such information as to which business
places are reasonably secure against
burglary, those equipped with burglar
alarms and those which have watchmen
employed on the premises. Business
places which apparently are not ade-
quately protected will be advised TO
, make some improvement toward pro-
lection.
In his letter to the bank officials, In
spector Burke said:
THE matter of recent bank hold-ups
is called to your attention for the pur-
pose of seeking your cooperation to the
end that, If humanity possible, We pre-
vent such crimes.
Briefly, in the past year there have
| been two banks held up during the
regular business hours of the day. two
others robbed after gaining entrance by
burglary during the hours the banks
were closed and one attempt at bank
hold-up during the daylight hours,
which attempt was frustrated by the
| use of tear gas.
Investigated by Bureau.
"This bureau has conducted exhaus-
| tic investigations with reference 10
| these crimes and we feel morally GER
tain that we have had persons under
arrest who were involved in the crimes.
However, they could not be identified
positively by victims and witnesses and,
therefore were released. These cases
are still under energetic, active inves-
tigation and We hope to bring them to
q proper conclusion.
"At this particular time. because OF
economic conditions, we feel satisfied
that there will be other attempts at
the commission of this class of crime
and it is urged that you assist us in
the prevention of further crimes OF
this character by. first. thorough
examination of your bank property to
ascertain If 1t Is secure against entry
during the hours when the bank is
closed, and, second, by equipping your
bank or banks with a device such az
tear gas or possibly an alarm system.
within the next few days Detective
Sergts. Brass and Truscott, who have
been most active in the investigation
of these crimes of bank robbery, will
call on you personally to discuss the
matters referred to here with the idea
of preventing further crimes of bank
robbery and it is hoped that we can,
by close cooperation along the lines
indicated, prepare against such attacks
in the future.
I'VE have the idea also of having q
uniformed man visit every bank In the
city several times day during bank
| ing hours. Would such an arrangement
meet with your approval?"
In postscript to the letter Burke
suggests as a means of preventing the
| theft of Christmas savings checks from
mail boxes that plain business envelopes
| be used by the banks in sending the
checks to their clients. He adds that
| it has been the experience of police
that where holly and other things sug-
! gestive of Christmas are used on en-
velopes thieves easily recognize them
as containing Christmas checks.
|