Schumer: Since 9/11, New York FBI office needs new resources to fight terrorism but can't neglect traditional crime– robbing Peter to pay Paul is not an option

Schumer asks FBI Director Mueller for $12.4 million to restore NYC FBI agents to previous levels so they can do both jobs well

With bank robberies in New York City up an unprecedented 300 percent since 1999, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today released a new study showing that the New York City FBI field office had a net loss of 90 FBI agents over the same period of time. In 1999, there were 1,164 FBI agents in the New York City field office. According data Schumer obtained from the FBI, there were only 1,074 FBI agents stationed there as of last week.

Schumer today asked FBI Director Robert S. Mueller to spend $12.4 million – less than one percent of the FBI's annual budget – to restore the 90-agent cut to the New York City field office.

"It's hard to believe we have so many fewer FBI agents in New York when our needs are so much greater than they were before 9/11" Schumer said. "Willy Sutton said he robbed banks because that's where the money is. That's where the FBI should be, too. I have been fighting hard to get us additional resources to fight terrorism, but that doesn't mean we can neglect traditional crime. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not an option," Schumer said.

Schumer praised the work of the FBI agents in the New York field office – particularly since September 11 – and said the problem is that there are just too few of them.

"Since 9/11, we've had to make hard choices, but they shouldn't be false choices. We can be vigilant against terrorists and we can fight violent crime here at home – if only we have the resources we once did to do it," Schumer said.

Schumer said that the average annual cost for an FBI agent – according to the Justice Department's 2004 budget submission – is less than $138,000 including salary, training, supplies, and equipment. Schumer said that it would only take an additional $12.4 million to restore to the New York City field office the 90-agent cut it has experienced since 1999. That figure is less than one percent of the FBI's annual budget. Schumer also noted that from Fiscal Year 1999 to Fiscal Year 2003, the total funds Congress provided to the FBI have increased 45 percent, from $3.0 billion to $4.3 billion.

In 1999, there were 141 bank robberies in New York City. That number dropped in 2000 to 136, but by 2001 it rose to 223. Last year, the number rose again, to 250. In the first quarter of 2003, however, the number skyrocketed – while there were 59 bank robberies in New York City in the first quarter (defined as January 1 through April 13) of 2002, there were 159 during the same period of 2003.

Schumer said that if the rate of bank robberies holds steady through the rest of this year, there will be 563 bank robberies in New York City by December 31.

Armed Bank Robberies in NYC Unarmed Bank Robberies in NYC Total Bank Robberies in NYC (see chart)

Schumer's 563-robberies-in-2003 projection is a conservative estimate because it presumes the problem will not get worse as they year goes on – as it did in 2002. While there were 59 bank robberies from January 1 though April 13 of 2002 (28.2 percent of the year), these robberies were only 22.8% of the total robberies in 2002. If 2003 follows the trend of 2002, there will be a projected 697 robberies by December 31 – which would be a 393% increase since 1999.

Some experts hold that New York City is experiencing a historic increase in bank robberies in part because of a perception that law enforcement is now more focused on fighting terrorism and has less time and fewer resources to focus on other types of crime. The NYPD and other experts have also attributed part of the increase to the faltering economy and a perceived willingness among banks to accept the cost of the robberies rather than spend money on better security.

According to FBI data:

• In 1999, there were 1,164 FBI agents in the New York field office
• In 2000, there were 1,156 FBI agents in the New York field office
• In 2001, there were 1,148 FBI agents in the New York field office
• In 2002, there were 1,085 FBI agents in the New York field office
• In 2003, there were 1,074 FBI agents in the New York field office

FBI Director Mueller testified to the Congressional Joint Intelligence Committee – a joint meeting of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees – on October 17, 2002 that since 9/11, the FBI had doubled the number of agents permanently assigned to counter-terrorism. Overall, Director Mueller has sought to re-engineer the FBI structure and operations to closely focus the Bureau on prevention of terrorist attacks, countering foreign intelligence operations against the U.S., and addressing cybercrime-based attacks and other high-technology crimes.

The new Schumer study also found that of the 73 new national fugitives identified by the FBI in its monthly fugitive bulletins this year, only four were bank robbers – less than 5 percent of the total. The new Schumer study also found that only one of the FBI’s top ten most wanted fugitives is a bank robber – Victor Manuel Gerena. – and the original date on the FBI’s flyer suggests he is wanted for a robbery dating back to 1984.

"Fighting violent crime and fighting terrorists should not be an either-or proposition. With enough people in law enforcement – as many people as we once had – we can do both," Schumer said.

For a copy of Schumer's letter to Director Mueller click here.

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