Robbers on Robbery: Prevention and the Offender

摘要

Robbery--the use or threat of force to take another's property--is among the nation's, most serious crime problems. High rates of robbery plague many inner-city neighborhoods. Robbery is a central component of the fear of crime. Many suburban residents, whose objective risk of victimization is much lower than that of their inner-city counterparts, nevertheless manifest substantial fear of being robbed. This has important consequences for personal freedom; fear of violent victimization can lead people to limit their public activities. As Conklin (1972:4) has a observed: 'Although the public certainly fears murder and rape, it is probably fear of robbery which keeps people off the street, makes them avoid strangers, and leads them to lock their doors' (also see Wilson and Boland, 1976). In 1994, the U.S. robbery rate was 238 per 100,000 population (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1995). Robbery rates are highest in urban areas; cities over 250,000 average 727 robberies per 100,000 residents.