Chapter 11

Robbery

Robbery

• The felonious taking of another’s property, either directly from the person or in that person’s presence, through force or intimidation.

Profile of a Robber

• Male

• Usually serial criminals who may commit 15-25 robberies before being apprehended

• Egotistical braggarts

• Prone to boasting of their crimes

Characteristics of Robberies

• Often committed with the use of stolen cars, plates, or both

• Committed by two or more people working together

• Offender lives within 100 miles of robbery• Youths tend to act in groups and use

strong-arm tactics more frequently than adults

Characteristics of Robberies Continued

• Less physical evidence present after the crime than in other violent crimes

• Take much less time than other crimes• Middle-aged and older people tend to be

victims • Robberies committed by a lone robber tend

to involve lone victims and are often crimes of opportunity

Classification of Robberies

• Residential– Home invader

• Commercial– Bank

• Street• Vehicle driver

– Carjackings: the taking of a motor vehicle by force or threat of force

Residential Robberies

• Hotel and motel rooms, garages, elevators, and private homes

• Less frequent

• Entrance is gained by knocking and then forcing entrance when the occupant appears

• Early evening

Commercial Robberies

• Convenience stores, loan companies, jewelry stores, liquor stores, gasoline or service stations, and bars

• End of the week• Between 6 pm and 4 am• Stores with poor visibility from the street and few

employees on duty• Committed by individuals with criminal records

Bank Robbery

• Federal and State offense• U.S. Code Title 12, § 2113• Two basic methods

– One-on-one robbery– Takeover

• Committed by rank amateurs and habitual criminals.

• Often act alone, but often have a getaway car and/or lookouts

Deterrents to Bank Robberies

• Bait money: U.S. currency with recorded serial numbers placed at each teller position.

• Dye pack: a bundle of currency containing a colored dye and tear gas.

ATM Robberies

• Usually occur at night in poorly lit area

• Highest risk between midnight and 4 a.m.

• Mostly committed by lone offender against a lone victim

• Offender usually uses some type of weapon

• Target: walk-up ATM’s

Responses to Reduce ATM Robberies

• Ensuring adequate lighting at and around ATMs

• Ensuring the landscaping around the ATMs allows for good visibility

• Installing rearview mirrors on ATMs• Installing ATMs where there is a lot of

natural surveillance• Installing ATMs in police stations

Responses to Reduce ATM Robberies Continued

• Relocating, closing, or limiting the hours of operation of ATMs at high-risk sites

• Providing ATM users with safety tips

• Installing and monitoring surveillance cameras at and around ATMs

• Installing devises to allow victims to summon police during a robbery

Street Robberies

• Committed on public streets and sidewalks and in alleys and parking lots

• Weapon involved

• Both victim and robber are usually on foot

• Speed and surprise

• Little or no advance planning involved

Challenges in Investigating Robberies

• Usually not reported until the offender leaves the scene

• Difficult to obtain good descriptions or positive identification from victims

• The items taken, usually currency, are difficult to identify

When Responding to a Robbery-in-progress Call

• Proceed as rapidly as possible using extreme caution

• Assume the robber is at the scene, unless otherwise advised

• Be prepared for gunfire• Look for and immobilize any potential getaway

vehicle you discover• Avoid a hostage situation if possible• Make an immediate arrest if the suspect is at the

scene

Priorities in a Hostage Situation

1. Preserve life

2. Apprehend the hostage-taker

3. Recover or protect property

• Stockholm Syndrome – occurs when hostages report they have no ill feelings toward the hostage takers and that they feared the police more than they feared their captor(s).

Investigation• Immediately canvass the neighborhood• Check motels and hotels in the area• Look for discarded property• Check car rental agencies • Check airports, bus and train stations and taxi

companies• Have a sketch of the suspect prepared and circulate it• Check known “fences”• Check M.O files• Check police field interview/contact forms

Important M.O. Information

• Type of robbery• Time (day and hour)• Method of attack (real or threatened)• Weapon• Number of robbers• Voice and words• Vehicle used• Peculiarities• Object sought

Indicators of False Reports

• Unusual delay in reporting the offense• Amount of the loss not fitting the victim’s

apparent financial status• Lack of correspondence with the physical

evidence• Improbable events• Exceptionally detailed or exceptionally vague

description of the offender• Lack of cooperation