Law and order in Phoenix, Arizona


Historically, Arizona has been a poor choice for criminal activity, especially Phoenix. There has always been a lot of money in Phoenix, especially in banks. In territorial times, it was gold, and in modern times it's cash. So, from its beginning in 1870, Phoenix has been protected by some pretty tough lawmen, including Enrique "Henry" Garfias, and Carl Hayden (that's him in the photo in 1916), to mention just a couple of tough hombres.

I worked for Bank One in the '90s, and although it was just in the marketing department downtown, I remember the terrible shudder that went through everyone whenever a bank robbery was reported. We all waited to hear more about it, especially if anyone had been hurt. There were friends and family working in those branches.

For most people, bank robberies are only things that happen in movies. But they happen in real life, too. It's a part of Phoenix history, and not just in the history books.

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