NCJ Number
173763
Date Published
1996
Length
58 pages
Annotation
Police responses to armed robbery in two jurisdictions in England, the Metropolitan Police District and South Yorkshire, were examined to identify examples of good practice and to assess the number of robberies, the type of offenders involved in each area, and physical and geographic conditions that determined whether certain forms of police intervention were more or less appropriate.
Abstract
The focus was primarily on armed robberies involving commercial premises, and the extent of armed robbery was evaluated in terms of firearms use, type of offender involved, principal methods of detection, and the prosecution process. Analysis revealed both commonalities and differences in the two jurisdictions. One police department employed a more proactive, intelligence-based response to armed robbery, while the other police department relied more on speedy responses and interviewing skills in gaining admissions. Several issues were raised about the intrinsic benefits of police specialist units and appropriate forms of management and accountability. It was determined proactive strategies are needed in the cultivation of informants, good quality video equipment should be used in commercial premises, police response time to armed robbery calls should be improved, a data base on known and suspected robbers should be developed, and communication between different police teams in dealing with armed robberies of commercial premises should be improved. 37 references, 12 tables, and 6 figures