Petty Theft Rises During Times of Want
Mayor Richardson warns Kennewick residents to secure their property as economic desperation drives local petty crime.
The story, cleaned up
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Several complaints have been made recently by people who have had articles stolen from rigs left in the streets or at hitching racks. For the most part these petty thefts have been committed in the early evening and the stolen articles include robes, coats, packages of meats and merchandise. In speaking of the complaints Mayor Richardson said: 'At no time is there more than one policeman on duty and it is impossible for him to watch and protect articles of value left in rigs in all parts of town, and to keep track of every person who might be tempted to take something now and then. These are days of destitute and hungry men and owners of rigs should be careful not to leave anything of value in rigs to tempt those who are looking for the easiest means of supplying their pressing wants. It is better to take a little trouble to safeguard such things than to go to a lot of trouble in vain attempts to recover the missing articles.'
“These are days of destitute and hungry men and owners of rigs should be careful not to leave anything of value in rigs to tempt those who are looking for the easiest means of supplying their pressing wants.”
This 1914 plea reflects the cyclical nature of economic hardship in the Tri-Cities, where property crime often rises in tandem with local unemployment. The Mayor's frank acknowledgement of 'destitute and hungry men' provides a stark contrast to typical booster-era rhetoric, grounding the city's growth in the realities of its working-class struggle.
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