NCJ Number
17422
Date Published
1974
Length
196 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT CONTAINS THE RESULTS OF AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS CONDUCTED ON 383 COMMERCIAL AND 311 NON-COMMERCIAL ROBBERIES REPORTED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA DURING 1972.
Abstract
THE PURPOSE OF THE ANALYSIS WAS TO DEVELOP A SUBSTANTIAL BASE OF INFORMATION UPON WHICH SPECIFIC ROBBERY REDUCTION PROGRAMS COULD BE PREDICATED. THE STUDY DEALS WITH THE CRIME ITSELF, THE VICTIM, THE OFFENDER, THOSE WHO ARE ARRESTED AND THE RESPONSE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. ROBBERY EVENTS ARE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF THEIR SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS. COMPARISONS ARE MADE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL ROBBERIES. A PICTURE OF THE VICTIM OF NONCOMMERCIAL ROBBERIES IS PRESENTED. THE OFFENDERS AS THEY ARE PERCEIVED BY THE VICTIM, A WITNESS OR THE POLICE ARE DESCRIBED. THEN THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ARRESTED FOR ROBBERIES REPORTED IN SAN JOSE IN 1972 ARE CHARACTERIZED AND COMPARED WITH ALL ROBBERY OFFENDERS (I.E., BOTH THOSE ARRESTED AND THOSE STILL AT LARGE). THE RESPONSE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO THE CRIME AND MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE APPREHENDED AND CHARGED IS DOCUMENTED. THE ANALYSIS YIELDS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FOR FORMULATING SPECIFIC STRATEGIES WHICH CAN BE IMPLEMENTED TO HELP ADDRESS THE ROBBERY PROBLEM. THE CONCLUDING PORTION OF EACH CHAPTER OF THE RESEARCH REPORT SUMMARIZES SALIENT FEATURES OF THE EVENT, VICTIM, OFFENDER, ARRESTEE, AS WELL AS SYSTEM RESPONSE. IMPLICATIONS FOR INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTION, APPREHENSION, PROSECUTION, AND HABILITATION ARE CONTAINED IN THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER OF THE REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)