FOCUSING ON ROBBERIES

FOCUSING ON ROBBERIES

Robbers are usually complete strangers on the prowl for suitable prey. Therefore, they are among the most feared and hated of all street criminals. The offense combines stealing with extortion or outright violence

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F I G U R E 4.2 Trends in Aggravated Assaults, United States, 1973–2013

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(often including the use of weapons), so it carries some of the stiffest prison sentences permissible under law. And yet, throughout history, bandits were considered much more interesting than their victims, and their exploits were often romanticized. The highwaymen of Robin Hood’s band, pirates who plundered ships laden with treasure, frontier out- laws who ambushed stagecoaches and trains, and gangsters who held up banks during the Great Depression—all were the subjects of stories and songs sympathetic to, or at least understanding of, the impulses that drove their dramatic deeds. But the glitter has largely faded and in its place is the image of the mugger or gunman as a vicious thug, a cruel predator, and an exploiter of weakness—one whose random violence casts a shadow over everyday life. This reversal in the imagery of robbers has sparked renewed concern for their victims.

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