Were criminals tougher in the old days?

We were on themes a few articles ago,cops/soldiers, armour,sidecars & machine guns all go together, same as left hand throttle’s when you have a Thompson machine gun on your solo Indian. Your modern officers are sitting behind the fibreglass fairing of their BMW’S with a Glock holstered on the hip, makes me ask “Were criminals tougher in the old days”, they must have been judging by the weaponary