Criminal Investigations

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Criminal Investigations

• Chapter 12
• Robbery

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Objectives

• How robbery is defined
• How robberies are classified
• What home invaders are
• In what types of robbery the FBI and state
  officials become involved
• What relatively new category of robbery has
  become a national concern

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Objectives Cont.

• What the elements of the crime of robbery are
• What special challenges are posed by a robbery
  investigation
• What factors to consider in responding to a
  robbery-in-progress call
• How to prove each element of robbery

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Objectives Cont.

• What descriptive information is needed to
  identify suspects and vehicles
• What modus operandi information to obtain in a
  robbery case
• What physical evidence can link a suspect with a
  robbery

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Introduction

• Robbery is one of the three most violent crimes
  against the person. Only homicide and rape are
  considered more traumatic to a victim. Robbery
  has plagued the human race throughout out history

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Introduction Cont..

• John Dillinger was Americas number 1 desperado
  in the 1930s. His tools of the trade were a
  Thompson sub-machine gun and a revolver. He once
  gunned down three men.
• Pretty Boy Floyds 1st bank robbery was of 350
  in pennies and he killed 10 people

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Intro Cont

• 2 officers saw 2 men dressed at Ninja Turtles as
  they entered a back. They called for backup and
  the bank was surrounded. When they 2 men tried to
  leave there was a shootout leaving 11 officers
  and 7 civilians injured and the two suspects dead.

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Robbery An Overview

• Is the felonious taking of anothers property,
  either directly from the person or in that
  persons presence, through force or intimidations
• The behavior of an armed robber is unpredictable
• The use of violence has increased in the past 10
  years

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Robbery An Overview Cont.

• Violence against victims also occurs in muggings
  and purse snatchings in which the victim is
  struck with a weapon
• Most robbers are visibly armed with a weapon or
  dangerous device and make an oral demand
• Some robbers present a note rather than speaking
• Hostages are held in some robberies

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Characteristics of Robberies

• They are committed with the use of stolen cars,
  stolen motor-vehicle license plates or both
• They are committed by two or more people working
  together
• The offender lives within 100 miles of the
  robbery
• Robberies committed by a lone robber tend to
  involve lone victims and are apt to be crimes of
  opportunity (on the spur of the moment)

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Characteristics of Robberies Cont.

• Youths committing robberies tend to operate in
  groups and to use strong-arm tactics more
  frequently than adults
• Less physical evidence is normally found after
  robberies than in other violent crimes
• They take much less time than other crimes
• Middle-aged and older people tend to be the
  victims

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Classification

• Residential
• Commercial
• Street
• Vehicle driver

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Residential Robberies

• Occur in hotel and motel rooms, garages,
  elevators, private homes
• Entrance is gained by knocking on the door
• Occur in the early evening when people are apt to
  be at home
• Victims are bound and gagged and even tortured
  while the robber looks for valuables
• Home invaders usually target a resident, not a
  residence, often women, senior citizens or drug
  dealers
• Home invaders are usually young Asian gang members

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Commercial Robberies

• Convenience stores, loan companies, jewelry
  stores, liquor stores, gasoline or service
  stations and bars, drugstores
• Occur toward the end of the week between 6 p.m.
  and 4 a.m.
• Stores with no cameras and poor visibility from
  the street and few employees on duty are more
  likely targets
• In fact 8 of the stores account for 50 of the
  robberies

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Bank Robbery

• Is both a federal and a state offense
• Are within the jurisdiction of the FBI, the state
  and the community in which the crime occurred and
  are jointly investigated
• Committed by rank amateurs and habitual criminals
• Deterrents can be bait money, dye packs

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Street Robberies

• Committed on public streets and sidewalks and in
  alleys and parking lots
• Committed with a weapon, some are strong arm
  robberies, physical force is the weapon
• Speed and surprise typify street robberies
• Nearly half of the victims are injured by being
  struck or shoved to the ground

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Vehicle-Driver Robberies

• Drivers of taxis, buses, trucks, milk trucks,
  delivery and messenger vehicles, armed trucks,
  and personal cars
• Carjacking is the taking of a motor vehicle by
  force or threat of force
• It may be investigated by the FBI

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Elements of the Crime Robbery

• The wrongful taking of personal property
• From the person or in the persons presence
• Against the persons will by force or threat of
  force

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Special Challenges in Investigation

• The speed of a robbery, its potential for
  violence and the taking of hostages and the usual
  lack of evidence at the scene pose special
  challenges for investigators

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When Responding to a Robbery-In Progress Call

• Proceed as rapidly as possible, but use extreme
  caution
• Assume the robber is at the scene unless
  otherwise advised
• Be prepared for gunfire
• Look for and immobilize any getaway vehicle you
  discover
• Avoid a hostage situation if possible
• Make an immediate arrest if the suspect is at the
  scene

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Hostage Situations

• Priorities in a hostage situation
• Preserve life
• Apprehend the hostage taker
• Recover or protect property
• Hostage situations may last from less than an
  hour to more than 40 hours
• The average length is approximately 12 hours

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Passage of Time Can Accomplish

• Provide the opportunity for face-to-face contact
  with the hostage taker
• Allow the negotiator to attempt to establish a
  trustful rapport
• Permit mental, emotional and physical fatigue to
  operate against the hostage taker
• Increase the hostage takers need for food,
  water, sleep and elimination

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Passage of Time Can Accomplish Cont.

• Increase the possibility of reducing demands to
  reasonable compliance levels
• Allow hostage-escape possibilities to occur
• Provide for more rational thinking, in contrast
  to the emotionalism usually present during the
  initial stage of the crime

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Passage of Time Can Accomplish Cont.

• Lessen the hostage takers anxiety and reduce his
  or her adrenalin flow, allowing more rational
  negotiations
• Allow for important intelligence gathering
  concerning the hostage taker, hostages, layout,
  protection barriers and needed police
  reinforcement
• Possibly foster the Stockholm Syndrome by which
  hostages begin to identify with their captors and
  sympathize with them

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Stockholm Syndrome

• A psychological phenomenon in which hostages bear
  no ill feelings toward the hostage takers and in
  fact fear the police more than their captors

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Proving the Elements of the Offense

• Determine the legal owner of the property taken
• Describe completely the property and its value
• Record the exact words, gestures, motions or
  actions the robber used to gain control of the
  property
• Obtain a complete description of the robbers
  words, actions and any weapon used or threatened
  to be used

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Identifying the Suspect

• Obtain information about the suspects general
  appearance, clothing, disguises, weapon and
  vehicle

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Establishing the Modus Operandi

• Type of robbery
• Time (day and hour)
• Method of attack (real or threatened)
• Weapon
• Number of robbers
• Voice and words
• Vehicle used
• Peculiarities
• Object sought

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Physical Evidence

• Physical evidence that can connect a suspect with
  a robbery includes fingerprints, shoe prints,
  tire prints, restraining devices discarded
  garments, fibers and hairs, a note or the stolen
  property

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False Robbery Reports

• Unusual delay in reporting the offense
• Amount of the loss not fitting the victims
  apparent financial status
• Lack of correspondence with the physical evidence
  
• Improbable events
• Exceptionally detailed or exceptionally vague
  description of offender
• Lack of cooperation

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The End