How the 1930s Changed Bank Robbery Investigations

At the beginning of the 20th Century, bank robbery in the United States was a state-level crime. That all changed when a slew of high-profile robbers—from John Dillinger to Bonnie and Clyde—began targeting banks.

If you robbed a bank in the United States in the early 1900s, it was considered a state crime, and local law enforcement were left to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those responsible. Unfortunately, those local agencies’ resources varied and fell short of what was needed to nab violent, clever, cross-country criminals.

But that all changed in the 1930s when a string of high-profile bank robberies across the country made the crime a national issue that required a federal-level response.

Here’s how the change unfolded.

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