NCJ Number
97873
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1984) Pages: 47-53
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
To develop a profile of the armed, urban bank robber, detailed life history data and court and reported crime records were used to examine the criminal careers of 500 convicted bank robbers who appeared before the Brooklyn District Court between 1964 and 1976.
Abstract
Of these, 96 percent were male, 96 percent were native-born Americans, and 71 percent were in the 16 to 30-year-old age bracket. Overall, 56 percent were black, 43 percent were white, and 1 percent was Puerto Rican. There was a 67-percent rate of high school dropouts, and 69-percent rate of unemployed. Overall, 33 percent were heroin addicts. Both in their families of origin and in their current relationships, these individuals showed disorganization. The majority (81 percent) had prior adult criminal records. Of the 500, 381 were armed, and less than 25 percent acted alone. Four distinctly different types of bank robbers could be identified in this sample. Heavy career types with 4 or more convictions for property crime, including bank robbery, comprised 29 percent of this population. Casual types, with 2 or 3 property convictions accounted for 25 percent. Compulsive types, whose crime was related to drug or alcohol abuse, accounted for 24 percent. Amateurs with no or one prior conviction accounted for 22 percent. There were more white heavy career and amateur types than black, while blacks dominated in the compulsive and casual categories. Implications of this typology for sentencing policy are discussed, and tabular data are presented.