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Law Enforcement Bulletin FEBRUARY 1975 Federal Bureau of Investigation Clarence M. Kelley, Director CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR "Handgun control is a subiecf of serious con- cern.. " A LONG LOOK AT CRIME, by James Q. Wilson, Pro- fessor of Government, Harvard University, Cam- bridge, Mass. 2 BANK FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT "The rising statistics over the past decade give every indication that losses in ... [these] mat- ters will continue to increase." 7 PARTICIPATIVE PLANNING AT WORK IN THE CRIM- INAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY, by Capt. Clyde L. Cronkhite, Police Department, Los Angeles, Calif. 8 DEVELOPING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION FUNC- TION, by Sgt. Frank P. Hayward, Public Informa- tion Division, Department of Police, New Orleans, La. J3 THE UFO MYSTERY, by J. Allen Hynek, Ph. D., Direc- tor, Center for UFO Studies, Northfield, III . J6 THE INFORMER'S IDENTITY AT TRIAL, by Larry E. Rissler, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation, Washington, D.C. 2J THE FBI'S APPROACH TO AUTOMATIC FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION (Conclusion), by Conrad S. Ban- ner, Special Agent, and Robert M. Stock, Automa- tion and Research Section, Identification Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. 26 WANTED BY THE FBI 32 THE COVER Putting a lock on the proliferation and use of handguns, as suggested by this month's cover, Is a major iuue in the control of crime. See Mr. Kelley's com- ments on facing pag• • Message from the Director . HANDGUN CONTROL IS A SUBJECT of serious rates of aggravated assault, robbery, and homi- concern to me. Admittedly, it is a highly emo- cide. At the same time, I feel the interest of those tional issue. However, so is the subject of death. individuals wishing shoulder weapons for strictly sporting purposes must be given proper consider- From 196473, a total of 858 law enforcement ation. officers were feloniously killed, and individuals using handguns were responsible for 613 of these I advocate two proposals to keep handguns deathsa shocking 71 percent. During 1973, an from those who intend to use them wrongfully. estimated 19,510 murders were committed in the First, it is essential that there be adequate local, United States, and 53 percent of these homicides State, and Federal regulations pertaining to hand- were through the use of handguns. These are guns, and it is imperative that these regulations truly tragic statistics. Equally tragic are the be strictly and vigorously enforced. Second, I thousands of friends and relatives who also suf- strongly urge at least mandatory minimum sen- fered irreplaceable losses as the result of these tencesstiffer penaltiesfor those persons con- handgunrelated killings. victed of a crime where a handgun is used. In considering these statistics, one additional Only persons who can meet the provisions of fact needs mentioning. There are presently in the local, State, and Federal regulations should be United States an estimated 30 million handguns. lawfully able to possess handguns. Violators That represents a lot of triggers that can be should face the stern penalties enacted by con- pulled, both accidentally and intentionally. cerned legislators supported by an aroused The proliferation of the socalled Saturday public. Night Special is particularly menacing. The The "right of the people to keep and bear weapon has no worthwhile sporting value and is Arms" (not necessarily handguns) is well known unsafe for use as protection. Under any criteria, to meand I certainly respect that right. How- its possession should be prohibited. ever, the unlimited exercise of any right should As I perceive the present situation, the solution not be tolerated where the public is endangered. to the handgun problem hinges on keeping them from potential criminals, while at the same time Human life unquestionably must be a respected guaranteeing that the interests of persons desir- value among mankind. Truly effective handgun ing weapons for legitimate use are respected. By controls can save the lives of hundreds of law strictly controlling access to handguns, I believe enforcement officers and thousands of other citi- a significant reduction can be made in the high zens. It's up to youit's your life. CLARENCE M. KELLEY FEBRUARY 1, 1975 Director .. [O]ur capacity to reduce A crime is limited LONG LOOK by social AT CRIME forces over which we have no I wish to discuss two subjects. First, course, it has been true in the 1960's control. ... " where are we headed with the crime as a result of the post.World War II problem, especially the youth crime baby boom. I am not arguing that the problem? And, second, what is the crime rate can be explained entirely, proper role for police administrators or perhaps even largely, by the ber of young persons in the popu By in our large cities during the years ahead? First of all, I want to em· tion. Certainly, the number of JAMES Q . W ILSON· phasize a point Mr. Conger of the persons in the population cannot Profess or of Government FBI made about the relationship be· plain why Detroit has seen a five. Harvard University six· fold increase in the number of Cambridge, Mass. tween the youthful component of the population and crime. There have been murders over the last 10 years. But, in the last 100 years in this country we have to realize that these enormous three major crime waves. There have population hifts do create precondi. been several crime waves, but three tions for increases in crime and set that have been especially significant. orne of the limits to what we can rea· One occurred in 18751880, after the sonably do about controlling crime. Civil War. Another occurred in 1930- The most important thing that can 1935, and the third one began roughly be done is already being done for us. in 1963 and continues now. The last People are having far fewer children one is well into its 11th year. Each one l'lOW than they once did. We are close of these major upsurges in crime cor· to zero population growth, at least responded to a time when the propor· from natural reproduction. Most of tions of persons under the age of 24 the population growth which will oc, in our population were at a record cur in this country in the next 15 height. This was true right after the years will be the result of immigra· The following remarks by Profenor Wilson were Civil War, it was true in the early tion. Much of it may even be from il· given be fore a Meeting of ~h jo r City Ch ief. of Police legal immigration. Little of the pop· in Chicago, Ill .. AUIIU,I 2629, 1974. years of the Depression, and, of FBI Law Enforcement Bull etin 2 ulation growth which will occur over increase may result from men who neighborhoods. In those neighbor- • the next few decades will be the result were killed in the service in the Viet- hoods, the whole social intrastructure of natural reproduction. This means man war, which, of course, cannot be that is provided by middleclass and that those of you who will still be po- helped. Others may be the result of workingclass people watching the lice chiefs in 1980 can expect, other other natural events. But a large pro- streets, running the PTA's, and re- things being equal, a fairly general portion, surely the grelltest proportion porting crimes to the police disap- and persistent reduction in certain of the increase, is the result of forces pears, leaving these neighborhoods forms of crime, especially those com- for which no social scientist that I wholly in the possession of those who mitted by young persons. By 1990, for know has a reasonable explanation. either cannot move or will not move. those of you who are still here, I ex- The forces that continue to operate on The crime rates go up alarmingly, pect, other things being equal, the the black family, especially in the along with other forms of social path- crime to be probably at its lowest level inner city, continue to create situa- ology. For example, during the 1960's since the 1950's, because the youthful tions in which young persons are there was an enormous improvement component of the age population by hopelessly disadvantaged. If the in- in the standard of living of black that time will be at its lowest point cidence of crime among persons with Americans. Their income went up, since the 1950's. But the sheer number that family background continues to their eduction went up even higher, of young persons cannot alone account be as high as it was in the 1950's, the and adult employment went up, and for the amount of crime, because continued weakness of the family will the housing conditions improved. By crime has increased far more rapidly produce continually high delinquency almost every objective measure one than has the number of young per- rates. can think of, Negro Americans im- sons. The third factor I wish to stress is proved their lot in the 1960'sexcept A second factor related to popula- urbanization. For a long time it was in the innermost parts of our central tion which is largely beyond our con- generally believed, I think rightly, that cities where there is a substantial , trol and, therefore, sets a limit to what the more people we have living in deterioration. I think much of this we can reasonably expect to do, has cities, the higher the crime rate, other deterioration is the result of the mo- been the changed family structure of things being equal.