Evening star., 1948-07-25
Summertime
Breeds Crime
More Cases of Violence
Result When Tempers
Rise With Heat
By J. Edgar Hoover
Director Of me FsI.

The good old summertime" Is the
season when millions Of Americans
take to the mountains and the sea-
shore for needed rest and relaxation.
1t also Is season when crimes Of
violence run rampant and thou
sands of our citizens are manned,
murdered and raped.
1t may seem a little odd that
the bright vacation time of gayety
and laughter also is the time of
year when dark violence stalks the
land. But there is no arguing with
the figures.
Last year in the United States,
there was felonious homicide COM
mitted every 1873 minutes, a rape
every 30.6 minutes and an ag-
gravated assault every 7.N minutes.
More of these were committed in
summertime than in any other sea-
son.
Major Classihcations
In fact, an analysis of crime in
American cities over $4,000 in popu-
lation during the past five years
clearly indicates that such crimes
of violence regularly go up during
the summer, down in winter.
Generally speaking, crimes can be
classified into two major types: Of
fenses against property and offenses
against persons.
| Offenses against property are
usually premeditated. A criminal
plans theft, robbery or burglary
as carefully and as fully as possi-
BILE, trying always to give himself
maximum opportunity to escape de-
lection. Hence, heavy percentage
of such offenses are timed for eve
ming hours when darkness blankets
the scene of the crime and covers
the route of escape. It follows log
ically, therefore, that more offenses
against property are planned for
the winter months than for the
summer months because in the vim
ter there are more hours of dark
ness. The sneak thief and the back
alley thug have longer working
hours in December than in June.
The winter months. moreover, en-
courage personal and social habits
which lend indirect assistance to
night prowlers. With fewer people
out on long winter evenings, the
marauder runs less risk of being OBJ
served by passersby. Families who
might spend good portion Of
summer evenings in their yards will.
in winter, be indoors. usually with
windows down and shades drawn.
leaving providers ample opportunity
to sneak through alleys and DESERT
ed streets in search of easy prey.
I Open Cars Invite Thieves
| Crimes Of violence, on the other
hand-offenses against the person.
are frequently not premeditated.
They are impulsive, resulting from
explosive tempers, irritability and
uncontrolled passions. These are
the crimes that occur with greatest
frequency during the summer
months.
The only noticeable deviation
from these trends is with such petty
larcenies as thefts Of articles from
automobiles and thefts OF bicycles,
which are most frequent during the
summer
This latter item can be accounted
for readily. In the summertime
there are more cars and bicycles
left out unlocked and unattended
than In winter. Even people who
habitually lock their automobiles
on hot days to leave windows down
and doors open to avoid the dis
comfort of returning to car that
has been tightly closed up and
standing in the sun for several
hours.
| Many petty thefts from automo-
biles occur at beaches, resorts and
other places where many cars and
crowds of people collect on hot days.
With throngs of people milling
around, a thief has fairly good
chance to prowl through an open
car without being noticed. More
over the automobiles on such oc-
casions are more likely TO contain
articles attractive to thieves. Fami-
lies on weekend or vacation trips
| are likely to have their cars loaded
with outing goods and sporting
equipment.
There are many physiological and
even psychological reasons for the
1Eee HOOVER PAGE CsY