Criminal Law Chapter 13 Industry Association That There Are Approximately

Chapter 13: Robbery

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Chapter 13

Robbery

Learning Objectives

1. Identify and explain the elements of a robbery.

2. Describe the three styles of robberies based on the amount of planning involved.

3. List the various types of robberies.

Introduction

The importance of robbery resides in its economics, its frequency, its resistance to investigative

efforts, the fear it creates, and the potential for violence that accompanies it. Robbery can occur

in several contexts, including visible street robberies, carjackings, home invasions, truck

Because of the face-to-face confrontation between perpetrator and victim, the potential for

violence is always present in a robbery. When violence does occur, it may range from minor

injury to loss of life. Due to its personal and often violent nature, robbery is one of the crimes

most feared by the public, a fear that may be heightened by perceptions of police inability to deal

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McGraw Hill LLC.

In coping with a heightened sense of fear and alarm, robbery victims often seek guidance and

advice to help prevent repeat victimization. Along with arresting suspects and recovering the

Lecture Notes

I. Elements of the Crime

A robbery consists of these elements: the (1) taking and (2) carrying away of (3) personal

property of (4) another, with (5) the intent to deprive the victim permanently, by (6) the use of

force, fear, or threat of force.

A. Taking

The property taken in a robbery must be taken illegally by the robber. Someone who has the

B. Carrying Away

Once the element of taking has been satisfied, the robber must then carry away the property.

C. Personal Property

The object of the robbery must be personal property, versus real estate or things attached to

the land.

D. Another

E. Intent to Deprive Permanently

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F. Use of Force, Fear, or Threat of Force

This element of robbery requires that the force or threat of force be directed against the

physical safety of the victim (rather than their social well-being).

II. Overview: The Offense, the Victim, and the Offender

About 42% of robberies are strong-armed, meaning no weapon was used. However, nearly 6 of

every 10 robberies are armed, with firearms being the most commonly used weapons in

The following are the three styles of robberies:

• The ambush

The ambush involves virtually no planning and depends almost entirely on the element of

surprise. The selective raid is characterized by a minimal amount of casual planning. The

planned operation is characterized by larger “scores,” no planned use of force, less likelihood

of apprehension, and careful planning.

III. Typology of Robberies

A. Visible Street Robberies

Approximately 5 of every 10 robberies happen on the street. Youthful robbers are particularly

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B. Use of Surveillance Cameras to Prevent Street Robberies

The use of surveillance cameras to monitor the streets to prevent robberies and other crimes is

C. Carjackings

Before 1990, if an offender used a weapon to confront an owner and steal the person’s car, the

D. Home-Invasion Robberies

Home-invasion robberies (HIRs) typically target the person, rather than the residence, often

selecting women and senior citizens.

E. Smartphone Robberies

The risk associated with smartphone robberies is increasing for consumers as the reward for

Several agencies are implementing measures to combat this growing criminal enterprise,

which are as follows:

• Law enforcement agencies have been successful in apprehending “Apple pickers” by

using decoy officers on mass transit routes or bait cars with Apple products in plain

sight.

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• In San Francisco, California, police launched a transit ad campaign called “Be Smart

With Your Smartphone.”

In addition to these agency initiatives, security experts are encouraging smartphone owners to

do their part to secure devices and the data stored on their smartphones, including the

following:

• Enable auto lock.

Additional safety measures include the following:

• Keep expensive items hidden.

IV. Robbery at Automated Teller Machines

Automated teller machines (ATMs) were introduced in the early 1970s, and their use has grown

at a staggering rate since then. It is estimated by the ATM Industry Association that there are

approximately 3 million ATMs in the world.

A. Preventing and Reducing Robberies at Automated Teller Machines

Law enforcement officers should make the following recommendations to the banks within

their jurisdictions in order to prevent and reduce robberies at their ATMs:

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• Install ATMs where there is a lot of natural surveillance and surrounding lighting.

• Install ATMs in police stations.

B. Targeting Offenders

High rates of street robbery usually coincide with high levels of street drug trafficking.

Addicts have frequent and immediate cravings for drugs; street robbery, especially around

ATMs, is one of the fastest ways for them to get cash to buy drugs. Where it can be

C. Robberies in Craigslist Sales

As more people buy and sell valuables online, people are becoming victims of violent

robberies that sometimes end in death.

D. Taxicab Robberies

Taxi (or rideshare) drivers have a higher homicide and robbery victimization rate than many

occupations in the United States. This is due to a combination of factors related to the nature

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• Often working late at night or early in the morning

The following are some important crime-prevention strategies to prevent robbery of taxi and

rideshare drivers:

• Provide physical barriers to separate drivers from passengers.

• Record activity with security cameras in the cab.

• Use of an alarm to call for help.

• Keep track of vehicle locations with automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems.

E. Convenience Store Robberies

Convenience stores account for about 6% of all reported robberies. The following are the

crime prevention strategies for convenience store robberies:

• Maximize natural surveillance.

The following are police robbery prevention recommendations for convenience stores:

• Provide robbery prevention and awareness training.

F. Pharmacy Robberies

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In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of drug-related robberies

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has set forth the following guidelines as being

the best course of action for pharmacists and citizens to take should they find themselves in

the middle of a robbery:

• Avoid taking any action that may provoke violence.

• Give the robber what he asks for, but do not offer him more than he requests.

• Carefully observe the robber for identity characteristics.

G. Truck-Hijacking Robberies/Cargo Theft

Truck hijacking is committed by experienced armed robbers acting on inside information.

Many truck hijackings happen in or near large cities because it is easy to dispose of the goods

there. Hijackers take what is valuable, with a preference for cargoes that are easy to dispose of

and hard to trace.

H. Bank Robbery

Bank robberies and, for that matter, most robberies do not appear to be well-planned offenses

committed by professional criminals; instead, increasing evidence suggests that many bank

robberies are spontaneous and opportunistic crimes that are often acts of desperation.

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I. Bank Robbery Prevention

The following are some of the actions banks can take to reduce the likelihood of robberies and

minimize their losses:

• Limit cash access.

• Use dye packs.

• Slow the robbery.

V. Responding to the Scene

In route to the scene of a robbery call, the officer must ensure that all information available from

the dispatcher has been obtained.

A. Action Stereotyping

B. Physical Stereotyping

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description.

C. Situational Stereotyping

VI. Follow-up Robbery Investigative Procedures

To standardize the ways in which robberies are investigated, departments should have a standard

operating procedure (SOP) that deals specifically with this crime.

A. Initial Investigation

Although it may not always be possible, it is advisable to have an on-duty investigator

(preferably one who works robberies) to respond to the scene of all reported robberies.

The following are some specific responsibilities for the robbery investigator:

• Assume responsibility for the investigation.

B. Generating a Likeness of a Suspect

The likeness of a suspect should be created and distributed as rapidly as possible. There are a

number of methods available to create a likeness. One of them is through the use of a police