NCJ Number
101952
Date Published
1986
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This summary of a 1982 study of New York City subway robberies and larcenies examines incident characteristics, arrestee characteristics, and case dispositions.
Abstract
The analysis focused on robbery and grand larceny incidents reported in four 3-week representative periods: February 1-21, May 1-21, August 1-21, and October 2-22. A total of 1,523 robberies and 1,480 larcenies made up the sample, as well as 1,255 subway robbery arrests made from December 1, 1981, through June 30, 1982. To compare transit arrestees with nontransit arrestees, the study obtained a sample of 2,073 nontransit robbery arrests from the data base of the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. Data analysis indicates that subway robberies and larcenies were less extensive than commonly believed, particularly when compared with the prevalence of these crimes outside the subway. A small percentage of incidents involved weapons and injuries. Almost half the robberies occurred on stairway and platforms; less than one-third in trains. However, almost half the larcenies occurred in trains. Robbery victims were typically young males, and larceny victims tended to be young females. Arrests were made in about 20 percent of the cases, and defendants were typically young males. About one-fourth of the robbery defendants pleaded guilty in criminal court, one-quarter of the cases were dismissed, and the remainder were transferred to supreme court for adjudication. For the final report, see NCJ 101953. Research and policy recommendations.