bank robberies Flashcards
sample typology
- N=35 crews
- N=31 note pusher (beggar bandits) 85-90% of bank robbers
- N=14 solo gunmen
- N=10 committed armored vehicles robberies
robbery definition
must be present:
- violence/ threat of violence
- victim and offender must both be present
examples of what’s robbery/ not robbery
- Purse snatching
· If no force, not
· Victim was knocked off feet, yes
· Utter threats, yes - Fraud
· Threat of force or actual force, yes
· Assumed no weapon therefore not robbery - Note pusher
· Wording of notes key
· Implicit threat, yes
reporting robberies
- Robbery however is reported more than other categories because it is an overt crime
- Environments are structured to report it
criminogenic knowledge structure (CKS)
“negative life events are connected and provide a hostile view of ppl and relationships, preference of immediate rewards, and a cynical view of conventional norms”
- leads to crime bc of the negative lessons learned from these events; socialized into environment where criminal behaviour is acceptable
- offenders dip in and out of crime
- needs based approach
consensus theory
everyone agrees on what constitutes a crime and the severity of punishment
conflict theory
criminal behaviour is defined by those in power to advance interests of the elite
crime rate dropping in Canada
- dropped 50% (2000-2012)
- criminogenic age (20s) replaced by older pop; older pop less likely to commit robbery
- mandatory minimums on weapons (4 yr flat sentence)
- keeping ppl in prisons longer/ more time off the streets
- better surveillance tech
- ppl more drawn to internet/ cyber attacks
- banks hold less money+ have more efficient design
awareness space
- readily available knowledge of suitable targets
- freestanding buildings avoided (more open space around which leads to easier detection)
- cash businesses (some rely more on credit now)
robbery type 1: individual/ mugging
- uncommon in canada
- young, inexperienced, armed (individual/group)
- violence as a result of resistance and preemptive force
- hotspots/ vulnerable victims; older women in underground garages
robbery type 2: commercial/ retail
- most common in Canada
- known targets, local individual who is familiar w the area, young
- big risk/ small rewards ($100 or even less sometimes)
- taxi hold ups, liquor stores, convince stores
- violence escalates w resistance
robbery type 3: institution/bank
- industry standard to comply
- least violent
- reward minimal (2k)
- banks sued if customer is harmed
criminalization hypothesis
deviant lifestyle comes first (dabble in it, experiment w drugs) addiction comes later
addiction makes forming plans difficult
lunch bucket brigade
refers to factory workers who do the same hard work everyday (not appealing enough to robbers)
types of bank security
- Alarm systems (intruder, manned, cctv)
- Access control (intercoms, keypads fobs for restricted areas)
- Turnstiles (good for restricted access of personnel) to cordon off areas
- Biometrics (fingerprint, iris scanners, voice recognition)
- Gates/barriers (external areas customers or contractors, bollards for ramming, road blockers, gates)