Criminal Investigation: Robbery Investigation

Essential Elements of a Robbery

• Three essential elements necessary to constitute a robbery:
  • Taking of personal property from the person or presence of a possessor.
  • Against the possessor's will.
  • By force or fear.

Problems with Robbery Investigations

• High-risk factor for both the victim and the responding police officers.
• Little or no physical evidence at the robbery scene.
• Robbery victims are often unreliable or ineffective witnesses due to:
  • Emotional stress.
  • Short time span of a robbery.

Methods and Styles of Robberies

• Two basic methods of robberies:
  • Armed robbery: weapon is displayed or indicated.
  • Unarmed robbery: no weapon is displayed or indicated, often uses a note or threat.
• Three major styles of robberies:
  • Ambush: little or no planning, victim selected at random, usually low score.
  • Selective Raid: involves a minimum of planning, moderate score, may be part of a string of robberies.
  • Planned operation: involves extensive planning, high score, usually involves professional robbers.

Major Types of Robberies

• Residence:
  • Planned residential robbery: involves a group that selects a victim because of their rumored wealth.
• Vehicle:
  • Taxi Cab Driver: driver is given an address in a secluded area and is robbed upon arrival.
  • Bus: occurs when there are few passengers, often at a lay-over point.
• Commercial:
  • Usually involves a weapon, most commonly a handgun.
  • Most common targets are convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, and gas stations.
• Street:
  • Usually involves at least two assailants.
  • Prime targets are women, elderly, and intoxicated persons.
  • Most often occurs at night in secluded areas.
• Bank:
  • Formerly involved professional criminals, now amateurs and militant groups are involved.
  • Displays weapon or a note to teller demanding money.

Procedural Steps in a Robbery Investigation

• Refer to handout for procedural steps.