ROBBERY

ROBBERY is the taking of personal property belonging to another, with intent to

gain, by means of violence against, or intimidation of any person, or using force upon
anything.

CLASSIFICATION OF ROBBERY:

1. Robbery with violence against, or intimidation of person (Art. 294, 297,

and 298)
2. Robbery by the use of force upon things. (Art. 299 and 302)

ELEMENTS OF ROBBERY IN GENERAL

1. That there be (1) personal property (belonging to another);

2. That there is (3) unlawful taking of that property;
3. That the taking must be (4) with intent to gain; and
4. That there is (5) violence against or intimidation of any person, or force upon
anything.

PREDATORY CRIMINAL – those showing a preference for crimes involving direct

confrontation or the stalking of victims.
STREET ROBBERIES – are those offenses occurring on public streets, thoroughfares,
or other outdoor localities that are not obstructed from public view.

STREET MUGGING – often involve more than one offender, typically, a victim is
overwhelmed by the presence, or force, of several muggers.

MODUS OPERANDI- Manner of Operation

The victim may be attacked from the front or rear, and is often pushed or
beaten to the ground. During the attack, or immediately following, the victim’s
valuable are taken. Targets of the attack are generally the victim’s wallet, purse,
watch or nay other jewelry item that is easily seen.

RESIDENTIAL ROBBERY - takes place whenever an offender forcefully, or by deceit,

enters the domicile of a victim, while the victim is present, for the purpose of taking that
person’s possession and valuables. It is also referred to as HOME INVASION
ROBBERY.

VEHICLE-RELATED ROBBERY

BUSINESS VEHICLE ROBBERY – the operator of some commercial type of vehicle is

victimized. Generally speaking, taxicab drivers and delivery van operators are
particularly prone to this type of offense.
TRUCK HIJACKING/CARGO ROBBERY – offense that almost always involves armed
offenders who specialize in the seizure and robbery of fully loaded tractor-trailers.

The method of operation is highly specialized and organized, many offenses

being linked to organized crime operations.

MODUS OPERANDI

The robbers select a truck known to carry specific cargo, having planned
in advance where the hijacked truck will be unloaded and how the cargo will be
disposed of. The truck robbery often occurs within the limits of large metropolitan
area. The offender surprises the driver and display firearms to discourage
resistance. The driver is held at one corner while the truck is driven to a side at
which the cargo is unloaded and transferred to another vehicle. Drivers are
seldom injured in this type of robbery, and the stolen truck is generally recovered
within a short time. However, the recovery of the stolen property, for once the
merchandise is removed from the original packing cases or separated from the
lot with which it was shipped, is very difficult.

NONBUSINESS-VEHICLE ROBBERY – type of robbery involves one or more

offenders targeting victims who are either drivers or passengers of a vehicle.

Victims who appear to be tourist or business travelers are particularly

vulnerable, as suspects believe such individuals are more likely to possess cash
or items easily sold for cash.

MODUS OPERANDI

Suspect stops a moving vehicle and robs the occupants, typically at

gunpoint, of cash and valuables.

Suspect bumps the rear of a victim’s vehicle with his or her own. Upon
exiting the auto, believing that he or she has been involved in a legitimate
accident, the victim is robbed.

CARJACKING/ROBERY DRIVEWAYS – occurs when the victim is forcibly stopped for

the single purpose of stealing the vehicle.

COMMERCIAL ROBBERIES – robberies perpetrated against any type of profit-oriented

operation.

The majority of commercial robberies are of small business and stores,

with the chain store and convenience operation frequently selected. It often
occurs in stores that are located in out-of-the-way places and/or are run by lone
or elderly attendants.
 Likely Targets:
 Banks
 Jewelry stores
 Novelty shops
 Pet shops
 Grocery stores
 Gas stations

MODUS OPERANDI

Targets are usually “cased” for a short period of time by the robber to
determine when the minimum number of customers will be present. Quite often,
the robber has been a prior customer of the business. Generally, in the robbery
of jewelry store and other specialized business houses, the offender will have
been inside the target one or more times and will have noted the location of the
safe or other valuables. This type of robbery may involve “inside information”
given to the robber by a past and present employee. Such information may
include the time at which the maximum cash will be on hand or the location of
certain valuables.

o What is the target selection procedure?

o What is the entry method?
o What is the initial action prior to the display of force?
o What is the extent of the display of force?
o What is the method of acquiring the object of the robbery?
o What are the actions prior to escape?
o What is the escape method?

TYPES OF EVIENCE THAT MAY BE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE:

- Fingerprints
- Hairs and fibers
- Blood or other bodily fluids
- Soil and footprints
- Bullet/slug and spent shell (if a shot was fired)

CRIMINALISTIC APPLICATIONS

Many types of forensic evidence are encountered at robbery crime scenes and
the possibility of recovering evidence elated to firearms is strong. The majority of
robbers carry a firearm into the scene; a small number fire the weapon when committing
the offense. The robber scene also is likely to yield evidence from ropes and other
binding materials. Fiber evidence comes not only form binding and restraining materials
but also from clothing worn by the suspect.
 If the suspect is arrested shortly after the discharge of firearm, an effort may be
made to demonstrate that suspect recently fired a gun.

PARAFFIN TEST/DERMAL NITRATE TEST – a method of determining whether the

suspect has fired a gun within a given time period by coating the hands with melted
paraffin to note the presence of or absence of nitrates. (this method is slowly being
replaced by the more reliable neutron activation analysis method.)

NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS (NAA) - A nuclear method of determining the

presence and composition of trace element by bombarding substance with neutron
particles.

If firearm or spent bullet is recovered form the scene, it must be handled with care to
prevent contamination and damage.

TIPS IN HANDLING FIEARM EVIDENCE:

 Avoid touching surfaces that may bear fingerprints
 The checkered grips, or edges of the trigger guard, should be used to pick up the
weapon
 The gun should never be lifted by placing a pencil or other object in the end of
the barrel
 Before bringing to the laboratory it to the laboratory, the firearm’s serial number,
make, and model should be recorded
 The gun should be distinctively marked in an inconspicuous area with the
officer’s initials

TIPS IN HANDLING BULLET EVIDENCE:

 The officer’s mark should appear on the base of the bullet – never on the
sides that bear the identifying striations
 Each recovered bullet should be individually wrapped in tissue paper and
packaged in a container
 If a cartridge case is recovered, the markings should be placed inside the
open end of the case
 Marking should not be place outside surface or base of the cartridge; this
may damage the breech block, extractor, ejector, and firing pin striations