Security issue: Robbery

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Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. It is used her exclusively for acts committed to individual persons. For the forceful theft from commercial venues, see raid.

Description

Snatch theft, depicted here as done from a motor vehicle

In the context of urban planning, robbery is most relevant if performed in the public space. This form of robbery, called street robbery has the following five characteristics[1]:

  • the offender targets a victim;
  • the victim is a stranger to the offender;
  • the offender attempts or completes a theft of cash or property;
  • the offender uses force or the threat of force against the victim; and
  • the offence occurs in a public or semi-public place, such as on a street, in an alley, in a parking garage, in a public park, on or near public transportation, or in a shared apartment hallway.

Mark that a robbery need not involve the use of a weapon or injuries of the victim.

Several subtypes of street robbery exist that vary in frequency depending on local circumstances. Among the better known are:

  • purse-snatching (referred to as "snatch theft")
  • robbery at automated teller machines;
  • robbery of drunken bar patrons; robbery of students (e.g., middle- and high-school students and college students);
  • robbery of passengers near public transportation systems; and
  • robbery of migrant labourers.

Contributing circumstances

Known circumstances to influence the likelihood or effect of robbery are presented in the table below:

Contributing Circumstance Influence Description
Attractive locations for robbery Increases success rate of robbery Some locations are by nature particularly suited for robbery, by the fact that they are relatively deserted, lack surveillance, have potential victims and offer many easy exits to flee the crime scene. Examples of such locations include parking lots and garages, parks, fields, playgrounds, and areas near public transportation[2], and ATMs[3].
Lack of surveillance. Decreases risk of detection. A low level of surveillance, particularly round-the-clock surveillance, decreases the perceived risk of detection for a perpetrator and thereby increases the attractiveness.
Long reaction times or inadequate action of reaction force. Decreases likelihood of apprehension Untimely or inappropriate reactions to violence lead to a perception of little control, which will increase perceived risk for the public and decrease perceived risk for the perpetrators.
High levels of robbery in the vicinity. Increases likelihood of targeting. The distance to known places where offenders live matters. On average, robbers travel 2,1 km to commit their crimes[4], and the chance of a neighbourhood to be chosen reduces with every km distance from the offender's home.
High levels of unemployment Increases likelihood of targetting High levels of unemployment are correlated with higher levels of property crime [5].
High expected levels of drug- or alcohol abuse Reduces inhibitions for crime The presence of regular abusers of alcohol or drugs has a strong correlation with the occurrence of robbery, often thought to be caused by the need for financing an addiction. Studies show that about 35% of all robbery is committed under the influence of alcohol[6].
Presence of excitement or distractions Increases vulnerability of victims A legitimate distraction enables the robber to gain contact with the victim without causing alarm. Street robbers could perceive people who are distracted (e.g., using a cell phone, drunk, and/or unfamiliar with their surroundings) as easier to approach and overpower. Distracting circumstances such as road works, which require a detour in unfamiliar surroundings, special events or holidays can also provide the distractions that aid robbers.[2]

Impacts

Social impact

  • Psychological distress, including fear, anger and depression[7]
  • social effects
  • Physical harm
  • (Personal) financial loss
  • Decrease in perceived security
  • Increased personal vulnerability

Economic impact

Robbery leads to considerable costs in both a direct (primary) and a indirect (secondary) way[8]. Direct costs of robbery come in the form of:

  • Preventive costs in anticipation of robbery (e.g. security measures, insurance);
  • Material and immaterial costs as a consequence of robbery (e.g. physical damage, repairs, medical costs, mental harm); and
  • Responsive costs to robbery (e.g. the costs of detection and prevention, prosecution, support trial, etc.).

In addition, the secondary economic impact of criminal offences has to be considered. Crime not only leads to financial or physical damage and prevention costs, but also indirectly influences the local/regional and national economy of a country. According to Detotto and Otranto [9],“crime acts like a tax on the entire economy: it discourages domestic and foreign direct investments[10]. On a more local and regional level, economists define economic impact on business, property value, tourism and quality of life (social capital).

Mobility impact

Safety impact

Measures

Many strategies exist to reduce the risk of street robbery. Of these, most are actions that are taken just before or after specific incidents. These are therefore not suited to be integrated in to the planning of urban environment, as this generally precedes incidents by a long time. Measures[1] that are effective against street robbery and can be taken (or at least influenced) by the urban planner, are:

  • Providing safe transportation
  • Providing safe routes during construction
  • Reducing intoxication in high-risk areas
  • Removing hiding spots
  • Increasing lighting at high-risk sites
  • Surveillance (electronic or other)
  • Increasing pedestrian density near risky places
  • Installing emergency call stations

Footnotes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 http://www.popcenter.org/problems/street_robbery
  2. 2.0 2.1 Monk Khadija M., Heinonen Justin A. and Eck John E., Street Robbery, Problem-Oriented Guides for Police, Guide No. 59, April 2010
  3. Scott Michael S., Robbery at Automated Teller Machines, Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series, Guide No. 8
  4. Beauregarda Eric T, Proulxb Jean, D., Rossmoc Kim A., Spatial patterns of sex offenders: Theoretical, empirical, and practical issues, Aggression and Violent Behavior 10 (2005) 579–603
  5. Kepple NJ, Freisthler B., Exploring the ecological association between crime and medical marijuana dispensaries.,J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2012 Jul;73(4):523-30
  6. Greenfeld, Lawrence A, Alcohol and crime, an analysis of national data on the prevalence of alcohol involvement in crime, U,.S. Department of Justice, Office of justice Programs, April 5-7 1998, Washington D.C.
  7. http://irv.sagepub.com/content/14/2/175
  8. Primary economic impact (or direct effects) are generally defined as the initial, immediate economic output generated by a specific cause (in this case a criminal offence). Secondary economic impact (or indirect effects) are generated each time a subsequent transaction is made, for example, the impact of crime on the real estate value in the neighbourhood.
  9. Detotto,C. and E. Otranto (2010). Does crime affect Economic growth? KYKLOS, Vol.63–August 2010-No.3, 330-345.
  10. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a direct investment by a business or enterprise in a foreign economy.