Armed robbery in Australia, Research, Information and Preventive Considerations

296 Pages·2010·3.44 MB·English

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Research, Information and
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Australian Institute of Criminology
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ARMED ROBBERY
IN AUSTRALIA
Research, Information and
Preventive Considerations
Edited Proceedings of a Seminar
held in Canberra in June 1977
Australian Institute of Criminology • Canberra 1978
The J.V. Barry Memorial Library has catalogued this work as follows:
364.1550994
ARMED robbery in Australia. Canberra, Australian Institute of
Criminology, 1978.
283p. 30cm.
"Edited version of proceedings of a seminar on armed robbery held
June 1977."
Bibliography: p.159-280.
1. Robbery - Australia - Congresses 2. Police patrol 3. Robbery -
Bibliography 4. Robbery - Prevention 5. Bank robberies - Australia
I. Australian Institute of Criminology
ISBN 0 642 91679 9
This report is published by the Australian Institute of Criminology as
an account of the proceedings of the seminar. However the views
expressed in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the
Institute.
Further information may be obtained from:
Research Division
Australian Institute of Criminology
PO Box 28, Woden, ACT, Australia. 2606
©Australian Institute of Criminology 1978
FOREWORD
A perusal of the newspapers on any day in Sydney or Melbourne
would clearly suggest that, with the possible exception of drug
trafficking, armed robbery is the crime causing major public concern in
Australia today. This offense lends itself to sensational newspaper
reporting and therefore the real concerns of law abiding citizens may
not necessarily be accurately reflected by the mass media. Nevertheless
by any objective standard, the incidence of armed robbery in Australia
has shown spectacular increase in the past four or five years.
Compared with other crimes such as breaking and entering and
larceny in all its forms, the numerical incidence of armed robbery is
comparatively trivial; and compared with white collar and corporate
crime, armed robbery is not particularly financially ruinous to the
nation. Yet armed robbery is widely perceived as totally abhorrent in a
civilised community. It is understandable that it should be so, as the
personal threat of death or injury motivated by monetary gain is doubly
offensive. Robbery is an interpersonal crime as well as being a crime
against property and these two elements compound with each other to
exacerbate its perceived seriousness.
A further aspect of armed robbery which is troubling is the fact
that no simple measures can be taken to eradicate it. Many suggestions
can and have been made, such as imposing longer prison sentences on
detected offenses, increasing police patrols and installing bullet proof
glass in banks and other agencies that handle large amounts of cash.
Suggestions such as these deserve consideration, but no one would
seriously argue that they would be completely effective. The problem is
so complex that simple solutions are not likely to provide total answers
Bearing in mind the complexity of the problem, the Australian
Institute of Criminology organised a seminar on armed robbery in June
1977 and invited experts from police forces, the private security
industry, insurance, architecture and academic research to exchange
ideas. This publication is an edited version of the proceedings of that
seminar. Formal contributions to the seminar and discussion in small
groups, all concentrated on the development of practical, as opposed to
theoretical, steps that could be taken to reduce the armed robbery
problem in Australia. Participants in the seminar agreed upon a number
of resolutions or recommendations for action and these arc summarised in
this volume.
This publication is especially commended to people professionally
committed to the reduction to the incidence of armed robbery in this
country. It should also be of value to other people with a genuine
concern for crime prevention, as, in the final analysis, it is ordinary
11
people rather than professionals who determine the social climate which
accepts or rejects crime in any community.
David Biles
Canberra
February 1978
iii
CONTENTS
Foreword i
Tables v
Contributors vi
Introduction vii
Summary of recommendations 1
ARMED ROBBERY IN AUSTRALIA
Armed Robbery In Australia - Its Nature
And Extent Paul Delianis 5
Armed Robbery In New South Wales And
Victoria, 1975 and 1976 AJ Sutton 17
RESEARCH
Research Priorities In Operational KL Milte &
Planning Against Armed Holdups SI Miller 25
Comment RA McAulay 37
General Comments On Policy Related
Research AJ Sutton 41
Robbery Security In Particular Target
Locations Roseanne Bonney 45
Robbery, Police, And Research Bruce Swan ton 55
Human Based Research Relative To The
Investigation And Prevention Of Armed
Robbery - Resolution 69
iv
INFORMATION
The Need For A National Armed Robbery
Data Service Paul Delianis 75
Comment Ian Rippon 85
Problems Of Data Collection Roseanne Bonney 89
The Establishment Of An Armed Robbery
Information Service - Resolution 93
PREVENTION
The Role Of Private Agencies In The
Protective Security Function As It
Relates To Armed Robbery JF Ashby 99
Comment Arthur Brown 105
Antirobbery Building Design EM Ure 109
Employee Related Considerations
Concerning Antirobbery Building Design Keith Salter 115
Antirobbery Hardware - Applications And
Research RR Powell 121
Security Philosophies And Action By The
South Australian Totalizator Agency
Board PC Page 129
Technological Hardware And Building
Design As Defenses Against Armed
Robbery - Resolution 135
ARMED ROBBERY IN THE USA
Federal Bank Robbery Violations In The
United States Of America CM Kelley 141
BIBLIOGRAPHY 159
V
TABLES
Page
1. Armed Robberies, Victoria, 1965-1977 5
2. Bank Robberies, Victoria, 1967-1976 8
3. Armed Robbery Solution Rates, By Type Of Premises,
Victoria, 1970-1976 12
4. Cash Losses Due To Armed Robbery, Victoria,
1973-1976 13
5. US Bank Violations: Number Of Offenses, 1972-1976 142
vi
CONTRIBUTORS
JF Ashby Director, Mayne Nickless, Melbourne
Roseanne Bonney Research Officer, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics 5
Research, Sydney
Arthur Brown Inspector, Criminal Investigation Branch, ACT
Police
Paul Delianis Detective Inspector, OIC Armed Robbery Squad,
Victoria Police
CM Kelley Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Washington, DC
RA McAulay Detective Superintendent, Criminal Investigation
Branch, South Australia Police
SI Miller Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police
KL Milte Senior Lecturer, Department of Criminology,
University of Melbourne
PC Page Services Manager, South Australia Totalizator
Agency Board
RR Powell Regional Manager, Wormald International (Aust)
Pty Ltd, Canberra
Ian Rippon Partner, Graham, Fisher $ Rippon (Insurance
Services) Pty Ltd, Canberra
Keith Salter Assistant Federal Secretary, Australian Bank-
Officers' Association, Melbourne
AJ Sutton Director, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics 5
Research, Sydney
Bruce Swanton Senior Research Officer, Australian Institute of
Criminology, Canberra
RM Ure First Assistant Secretary (Architecture),
Department of Construction, Melbourne