NCJ Number
106795
Date Published
1987
Length
243 pages
Annotation
This text presents a multidimensional view of armed robbery, based on more than 5 years' research and information from over 1,200 cases.
Abstract
Current trends and characteristics of the crime in the United States and Canada are reviewed, factors contributing to rising crime rates are delineated, and overrepresentation of French Canadians and blacks in armed robbery is discussed. An examination of 1,266 armed robberies committed in Quebec characterizes the nature of the targets, weapons and disguises used, offender and victim characteristics, financial costs, use of violence, and victim reactions. Interviews with 39 offenders elucidate their motives and illustrate differences between professional, chronic, occasional, and intensive offenders. The psychological, physical, and economic impact of armed robbery, as well as characteristics of the crime, are illustrated in data for 182 small business owners or employees who had been victimized. The police, court, and correctional system responses to armed robbery also are delineated. Finally, measures for deterring and preventing armed robbery are described. Chapter summaries and references, 82 tables, index, and 95-item bibliography.