NCJ Number
161557
Date Published
1996
Length
107 pages
Annotation
This study of various types of armed robbers examines why they do it, how they do it, and why people get hurt.
Abstract
For the study, 310 armed robbers were surveyed in 1995 in 20 prisons in three States: Maryland, Washington, and Texas. Special attention is given to how convenience store robbers differ from other robbers. Convenience-store robbers do more robberies than the average robber, and they are much less likely to be deterred, regardless of security measures, than are other types of robbers. Convenience-store robbers will rob for relatively little money, will rob many times, are not easily deterred, and are not concerned with apprehension after the robbery. They are concerned only with being trapped, caught, or shot at the scene of the robbery. Although convenience-store robbers dream of robbing armored cars and bank tellers, they end up robbing convenience stores and individuals on the street. Although money is an important incentive for robbers, they also rob for drugs, for the thrill of it, to feel power, to vent anger, or because of peer pressure. The reasons some robbers need money is because they feel hopeless or are unemployed, homeless, drug addicted, and without resources. One of the most significant findings may be that 83 percent of the robbers in the survey did not think they would be caught, even though almost half (48 percent) had been previously arrested, convicted, and imprisoned. The research findings suggest that robbery countermeasures should include reducing the amount of money accessible to robbers, making sure the robber knows he will gain little money for his effort before he robs, blocking escape routes, and increasing the risk to the robbers of getting caught. 4 exhibits, 41 notes, and 20 references