A topic appropriate for congressional debate in the wake of National Crime Prevention Week is the growing number of drug store robberies by criminals and addicts seeking narcotics. In 1979. the latest year for which statistics are available. there were 1,824 armed robberies of drug stores in the country. The Justice Department estimates that one out of every five of such crimes results in death or injury. Legislation (H. R. 2034) aimed at dealing with the problem was introduced in Congress early last year by Rep. Henry J. Hyde, R-Ill. Now, with 75 members of the House as cosponsors, Hyde is calling for action on the measure. Specifically. H. R. 2034 would make pharmacy narcotics robberies a federal offense and toughen penalties for the crime. It’s ironic, Hyde notes. that “your local pharmacist violates a federal statute (Controlled Substances Act) if he illegally dispenses drugs. but if those very same drugs are stolen from him it is not a federal crime.” Under Hyde’s bill. first offense penalties would range from five to 20 years imprisonment and/or a $5 000 fine. For a subsequent conviction, penalties would range from 10 to 25 years and/or a $10,000 fine. They would get more stringent in the event of assault or a death, Despite its merits. differences of opinion can be expected on both main thrusts of the bill. Some enforcement officers believe present laws are adequate but tougher court action in applying penalties is needed. Others see a definite correlation between the size of penalties and crime deterrence. Making pharmacy robberies a federal offense probably would require more government enforcement personnel and increased costs. Is this necessary? In the view of one police chief, the problem usually can be handled by local-state personnel, and federal status would tend to siphon U. S. officers from other vital assignments. Yet the subject needs to be addressed. Debate on Hyde’s bill, with comment from representative enforcement and court officials, could establish the salient facts and provide a consensus of judgment in solving this difficult problem.