NEW YORK CITY GIVES CHASE TO MOTOR BANDITS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17890, 5 July 1926, Page 13

NEW YORK CITY GIVES CHASE TO MOTOR BANDITS

HUNDREDS OF HORNS SOUND, AND POLICE USE THEIR GUNS. (By J. S. WEARN.) VI. There are fifteen thousand police in Xew York City, and the Police Commissioner recently announced that the force should be increased by at least thirteen thousand more. Very fe_w days pass without a serious hold-up in some part of the city—not the usual “ demand ” hold-up—when a rough points his gun and relieves the unfortunate of his valuables, but the real thing in restaurants, jewellery stores, warehouses and fur stores. Frequently a whole van load of valuable merchandise is spirited away between the wharves and the ware house. A motor-car containing the bandits pulls up in front of the van, which in turn comes to a standstill to avoid a collision. One of the bandits seats himself beside the driver, and requests him to follow the car ahead. The feel of a gun close to his body prevents any hesitation on the part of the driver, who duly follows the car through the streets of the city. The procession continues past the traffic police, who, of course, are ignorant of the incident which is taking place before their very eyes, and so out into the lonely roads of the country, where both the car and van come to a standstill. The driver is transferred from his van to the car, and marooned miles from the nearest telephonb. Meanwhile the van is unloaded, and left beside the road. It may be hours before the hold-up is discovered, and by this time the valuable goods are securely packed away by the bandits and held for disposal through questionable channels. The finding of the van, of course, gives no clue, conse quently this method is one of tht simplest in operation and at the samt time the hardest of the many problems the New York police are confronted •with* All the large jewellery shops have their own special uniformed policemen standing, at the entrance, and hold-ub alarms are placed outside the building, consisting of a large gong, which is worked from the inside, by the placing of a foot upon a button on the floor behind the counter. During the past year many of the large restaurants have removed the front wall of their dining rooms, and replaced it with large glass windows, so, that the patrolling policeman on the street may have an uninterrupted view of the diners. In most of the avenues and streets of the city, a patrolman has a beat of less than one hundred yards, consequent! v he passes all shops on his beat, every few moments, and apart from this he may be representing a few thousand people in the skyscrapers above. ITold-ups in restaurants have increased to an alarming extent during the past few years. These crimes, almost without exception, are committed by youths between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two years.

The general procedure is for two or three youths to enter the restaurant and seat themselves among the diners, one always taking up a position near the back, close to the kitchen. The spokesman, without rising from his chair, draws his guns, which very often are fitted with maxim silencers, and requests all patrons to retire to the kitchen, and the first to lead the way is the bandit who took up his position in the rear of the dining-room. He takes care of the kitchen staff very quickly. When all the diners enter the kitchen they are ranged against the wall, and in the case of men their belts are removed; so that their hands may be engaged in holding up their trousers. One of the bandits quickly removes all the valuables from the victims, and

makes his way outside to a motor-car. lie starts the engine and waits for his confederates. The critical moment has now arrived for the latter. Generally they make a bolt for it, firing behind them as they run, jump aboard the waiting car, and try to lose, themselves in the maze of traffic. Up to this point they have made a good getaway.

In a moment the alarm is given. The patrolman on whose beat the hold-up took place makes for the scene, blowing his whistle as he runs . Other patrolmen at the nearest corners turn in a general alarm at the police phones which are placed at every corner of the city. The police jump on other cars going in the same direction as the fugitives, generally selecting a taxi-cab, as the drivers of New York taxies are considered the finest in the world in traffic. The pursuing cars keep their horns continuously blowing, so that the traffic cops ahead will know that a “wild” car is coming, and must be stopped at all costs. In explanation—a “wild” car is one that is outlawed, and must be stopped even if it has to be wrecked. It generally contains murderers, fire bugs, hold-up men and other criminals. As it comes into view it is easily recognised, owing to the fact that it ignores all traffic regulations. The traffic cop raises one hand and draws his gun with the other—all New York police are armed—as it passes he fires point blank at the driver, and is very fortunate if he is not shot at in return. The pursuing cars also open fire when the target presents itself among the mass of moving vehicles, and one of the latter very often gets the shot intended for the bandits. During the whole of this period hundreds of motorhorns are being sounded by every taxi in the vicinity. The fate of the “wild” car is now sealed, fqr a taxi racing from a side street deliberately hits it broadside on with a crash that wrecks both machines, and the bandits, or what is left of them, are gathered up and sent to Sing Sing for the usual five to ten years.

It is a recognised fact that taxidrivers arc of great assistance to the New York police, and are always well compensated for any injury to themselves or their cars, assisting the cause of justice. (To be continued.)