NCJ Number
68060
Date Published
1980
Length
71 pages
Annotation
COMPREHENSIVE ROBBERY STATISTICS FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA FOR 1975 TO 1979 ARE PROVIDED.
Abstract
FROM 1975 TO 1979, 329 ARMED ROBBERIES AND 714 UNARMED ROBBERIES WERE REPORTED, WITH THE LAST TWO YEARS SHOWING A SOMEWHAT HIGHER RATE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEARS. OVER 90 PERCENT OF THE ROBBERIES WERE COMMITTED IN THE ADELAIDE METROPOLITAN AREA. MOST UNARMED ROBBERIES WERE COMMITTED IN STREETS OR PUBLIC PLACES, AND ARMED ROBBERIES WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF SETTINGS. THE TYPICAL VICTIM IS DESCRIBED. OVER 75 PERCENT OF UNARMED ROBBERIES AND 70 PERCENT OF ARMED ROBBERIES OCCURRED BETWEEN 5 P.M. AND 5 A.M.; CASES WERE MORE COMMON DURING THE WINTER. CASH AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS WERE STOLEN IN THE MAJORITY OF ARMED AND UNARMED ROBBERIES, WHILE 16 PERCENT OF ARMED ROBBRIES WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. SOLE OFFENDERS COMMITTED 44 PERCENT OF THE UNARMED ROBBERIES AND 52 PERCENT OF THE ARMED ROBBERIES. ARMED ROBBERS STAND A GREATER RISK OF APPREHENSION THAN PERPETRATORS OF LESSER OFFENSES: 20.7 PERCENT OF THE ARMED ROBBERY CASES RESULTED IN ARRESTS. THE TYPICAL ADULT DEFENDANT IS DESCRIBED. BETWEEN 1977 AND 1979, 63.2 PERCENT OF THE DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH SERIOUS ROBBERY OFFENSES PLEADED GUILTY; 22.1 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED AS CHARGED AFTER PLEADING NOT GUILTY; 8.6 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED OF A LESSER CHARGE; 4.3 PERCENT WERE ACQUITTED; AND 1.8 PERCENT HAD THEIR CHARGES WITHDRAWN. IMMEDIATE IMPRISONMENT WAS ORDERED IN 74 PERCENT OF THE CONVICTIONS, AND NON-CUSTODIAL SENTENCES WERE METED OUT TO THE REMAINDER. THE MAJORITY OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS WERE 15 TO 16 YEARS OLD MALES, AND ONLY 56 PERCENT WERE LIVING WITH THEIR NATURAL PARENTS. RECIDIVISTS MADE UP 84 PERCENT OF THE APPREHENDED JUVENILES, AND HALF OF ALL CASES DISPOSED OF DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1979 RESULTED IN CARE AND CONTROL OR CONFINEMENT ORDERS. PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES AND THE LAWS PERTAINING TO ROBBERY ARE BRIEFLY REVIEWED; 15 REFERENCES, TABLES, AND CHARTS ARE PROVIDED.