NCJ Number
30033
Date Published
1975
Length
125 pages
Annotation
THIS MANUAL EXAMINES SELECTED ROBBERY EVENTS IN WHICH POLICE OFFICERS WERE ASSAULTED AND SUGGESTS RISK REDUCTION MEASURES FOR POLICE OFFICERS DEALING WITH ROBBERY EVENTS.
Abstract
THIS MANUAL FOCUSES ON ROBBERY EVENTS IN WHICH AN ASSAULT BY A SUSPECT RESULTED IN AT LEAST ONE OFFICER BEING A CASUALTY, WHETHER KILLED OR WOUNDED. A SELECTED NUMBER OF ROBBERY EVENTS IN WHICH THE ASSAULT AGAINST THE OFFICER(S) PRODUCED NO CASUALTIES IS ALSO STUDIED. SINCE MANY CASUALTY EVENTS INVOLVED A NUMBER OF OFFICERS, SOME OF WHOM WHERE NOT INJURED, THE FOLLOWING CLASSIFICATIONS ARE EMPLOYED: OFFICERS KILLED, OFFICERS WOUNDED, AND OFFICERS UNINJURED. IN THE NON-CASUALTY EVENTS, ALTHOUGH ALL OFFICERS WERE ASSAULTED, NONE WERE INJURED OR KILLED. DURING THE 12-MONTH STUDY PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1972 TO AUGUST 1973, 23 OFFICERS WERE KILLED IN CONNECTION WITH ROBBERY EVENTS. IN ADDITION, 55 OFFICERS WERE WOUNDED AND 11 ESCAPED INJURY IN EVENTS THAT RESULTED IN AT LEAST ONE OFFICER CASUALTY. ANOTHER 36 OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED AS ASSAULT VICTIMS IN 27 EVENTS THAT RESULTED IN NO CASUALTIES. THE IACP (INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE) STAFF MADE ACTUAL SITE VISITS TO EXAMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE 94 ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN WHICH THESE 125 OFFICERS HAD BEEN ASSAULTED. IN SELECTING EVENTS FOR STUDY, SITE VISITS WERE MADE IN ALL BUT TWO EVENTS INVOLVING A POLICE FATALITY; IN ALL SERIOUS CASUALTY EVENTS; AND IN A SELECTED NUMBER OF MAJOR ROBBERY INCIDENTS WHERE OFFICERS WERE ASSAULTED, BUT NOT INJURED. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES WERE TO IDENTIFY THE RISKS TO OFFICERS INVOLVED IN ROBBERY EVENTS AND TO RECOMMEND THE MEANS NECESSARY TO REDUCE THOSE RISKS THROUGH IMPROVED TRAINING, TACTICS, AND EQUIPMENT. THE EXAMINATION OF A NUMBER OF NONCASUALTY EVENTS WAS UNDERTAKEN SIMPLY AS A MEANS OF DETERMINING IF ANY SIGNIFICANT FACTORS EXISTED THAT COULD EXPLAIN WHY SOME OFFICERS IN ROBBERY EVENTS BECAME CASUALTIES AND OTHERS DID NOT. SECTION ONE OF THIS MANUAL PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THESE 94 ROBBERY EVENTS, INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENTS, THE VICTIM OFFICERS, AND THE ASSAILANTS. SECTION TWO DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH MEASURES THAT WILL REDUCE RISKS INHERENT IN ROBBERY EVENTS. (SNI ABSTRACT)