NCJ Number
52630
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
DATA ON THE USE OF WEAPONS IN BOTH PERSONAL AND COMMERCIAL ROBBERIES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE EXAMINED IN A STUDY OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH WEAPONS AFFECT THE INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
Abstract
DATA SOURCES ARE THE 1973 NATIONAL CRIME PANEL AND THE 1974 NATIONAL COMMERCIAL CRIME PANEL. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE AVAILABILITY OF WEAPONS IS CRIMINOTROPIC (AFFECTS THE STRATEGIES USED BY CRIMINALS) IS EXPLORED BY EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WEAPON USED AND THE ROBBER'S ABILITY TO SELECT A TARGET WITH IMPUNITY, TO INCAPACITATE THE VICTIM, AND TO CONTROL THE CRIME SCENE. DATA ON THE ATTRIBUTES AND TACTICS OF OFFENDERS ARE COMPARED TO ASSESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH WEAPONS ARE CRIMINOGENIC (CAUSE OR INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF CRIME). THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT LETHAL WEAPONS ENABLE ROBBERS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR TAKE WHILE MINIMIZING THEIR RISK. LETHAL WEAPONS GENERALLY ARE USED BY OLDER OFFENDERS, WHO SELECTIVELY PREY UPON MORE PROFITABLE TARGETS UNDER LESS RISKY, BETTER PLANNED CIRCUMSTANCES. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT GUN CONTROL PROGRAMS MIGHT DECREASE THE FREQUENCY OF ROBBERY AND THE AVERAGE AND TOTAL TAKE IN ROBBERIES, BUT PERHAPS AT THE COST OF INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE AND PERSONAL INJURY TO VICTIMS, AND SHIFTING THE ATTENTION OF CRIMINALS AWAY FROM COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND TOWARD MORE VULNERABLE INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS (E.G., FEMALES AND THE ELDERLY). THE SHIFT IN RELATIVE DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS SEEMS RELATIVELY CERTAIN, BUT MORE SOPHISTICATED STUDIES OF OFFENDER CHOICE ARE NEEDED IN ORDER TO PREDICT WHETHER INCIDENCE OF ROBBERIES WOULD INCREASE OR DECREASE AS A RESULT OF GUN CONTROL. IF SUCH STUDIES DO NOT PREDICT A DECREASE, THE POLITICS OF GUN CONTROL COULD BECOME MORE COMPLEX. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)