St. Paul Declared Crime Free
Around the time Dillinger set up residence at the Lincoln Court Apartments, the Ramsey County grand jury investigated claims that St. Paul’s police were riddled with corruption, and the city harbored the worst gangsters of the time. Ironically, on the day of the Dillinger shootout, a grand jury submitted their findings. The report claims, “We believe there is no justification for any charges that an excess of crime exists here.” They declared St. Paul did not have a serious crime problem. The newspaper St. Paul Pioneer Press called out the problem, asking “Why do these dangerous gangsters all head for St. Paul when they want to hide out from authorities or take a rest?” The ensuing outrage led to a campaign by the newspaper to raise money for better police weapons than just their pistols. The effort raised almost $2,000 for Thompson submachine guns.