Atlanta Division: “Traditional Crime Down-Cyber Crime Up

Traditional crime has been in significant decline for a number of years now. Bank robberies are down 60% since 1991. Criminals are becoming more adept at stealing by using a computer rather than a gun. The penalties are less severe and they can perform these acts from their computers at home. Why risk robbing someone for a few dollars when you can break into his bank account or use his/her identity without personal risk. We will always have “crimes of opportunity” but the biggest challenge for all of us now is protecting ourselves from cyber crime. Police agencies will have to change to keep up with this trend. Geographic jurisdictions will have to be crossed, borders will have to be crossed in order to catch the criminals preying on our citizens. Intra and international cooperation among policing agencies will have to grow in size and sophistication if we are going to defend our citizens.