NCJ Number
150481
Date Published
1994
Length
102 pages
Annotation
Police records in London's Metropolitan Police District were analyzed to assess the nature of armed robbery incidents during 1990 and to identify methods used by convicted armed robbers to structure and execute their crimes.
Abstract
In total, data were collected for 1,134 robbery incidents involving firearms. In addition, interviews were conducted with 113 convicted armed robbers who had been imprisoned. Findings demonstrated that commercial premises accounted for 40 percent of all armed robbery incidents. According to witness statements, 1,211 guns were used in the 1,134 armed robberies. Firearms used to facilitate robberies included imitation guns, shotguns, and handguns, although firearms were rarely discharged. Victims were physically injured in 7 percent of armed robberies, and two-thirds of all armed robberies occurred between 9:00 and 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. About 85 percent of armed robbery incidents were reported to the police within 10 minutes of their occurrence, and the police usually arrived within 10 minutes of the report. Ninety percent of convicted armed robbers were male, and almost 75 percent were white. Characteristics of armed robbers are described in terms of age, place of birth, employment status, marital status, robbery targets, and sentences imposed for those convicted. Robber accounts of their crimes are included, and information on weapons used in armed robberies is provided. References, footnotes, tables, and figures