NCJ Number
200788
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 2003 Pages: 1-11
Date Published
2003
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article describes characteristics shared by a series of bank robberies conducted by Asian males in a southern city in the United States.
Abstract
Despite the fact that Asian criminals participate in every major category of crime, bank robberies by Asian gangs are not often reported. This article discusses a series of bank robberies conducted by Asian gang members in a major southern city in the United States. A brief literature review focuses on robberies, robbery offenders, and bank robberies, specifically. Analyzing six police incident reports from the police department and the Asian Advisory Board of a major southern city, the author assessed the characteristic patterns of behavior repeated in this series of bank robberies. Conducted over an 11 month time span, the bank robberies were neither evenly nor randomly distributed, were located within one mile of a shopping center within the city limit, and occurred at banks that were owned and managed by non-Asians. The six banks that were the victims of robbery were found to have insufficient security, and the robberies were conducted through a holdup note demanding money. Following the description of the facts surrounding these bank robberies by groups of Asian males thought to be members of the Natoma Boys gang, the author suggests that the unique methods of operation shared by the six bank robberies make these cases important to both bank security and law enforcement communities. Tables, notes, appendix