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

What will be an ideal response?


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

Criminal Justice

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