Describe some of the main distinguishing characteristics between professional and amateur bank robbers

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Because of the large sums of money involved, bank robberies are committed by rank amateurs as well as by habitual criminals.

Characteristics of professional bank robbers include:
• Offender: multiple offenders with division of labor? shows evidence of planning? may
be older; prior bank robbery convictions; travels further to rob banks
• Violence: aggressive takeover, with loud verbal demands? visible weapons, especially
guns; intimidation, physical or verbal threats
• Defeat security: uses a disguise? disables or obscures surveillance cameras? demands
that dye packs be left out, alarms not be activated or police not be called
• Robbery success: multiple teller windows? larger amounts stolen? lower percentage of money recovered; more successful robberies; fewer cases directly cleared; longer time from offense to case clearance
• Robbery timing: targets banks when few customers are present, such as at opening
time; targets banks early in the week
• Target selection: previous robbery? busy road near intersection? multidirectional
traffic; corner locations, multiple vehicle exits
• Getaway: via car

Characteristics of amateur bank robbers include:
• Offender: solitary offender? drug or alcohol use likely? no prior bank crime? lives near
bank target
• Violence: note passed to teller or simple verbal demand? waits in line? no weapon
• Defeat security: N/A
• Robbery success: single teller window victimized? lower amounts stolen? higher percentage of money recovered; more failed robberies; shorter time from offense to case clearance, including more same-day arrests; direct case clearance more likely
• Robbery timing: targets banks when numerous customers are present, such as around
midday; targets banks near closing or on Friday
• Target selection: previous robbery? heavy pedestrian traffic or adjacent to dense
multifamily residences; parcels without barriers; parcels with egress obscured
• Getaway: on foot or bicycle