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Summary of the Study Guide for CMY3706
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
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CMY3706 – CONTEMPORARY CRIMINOLOGICALISSUES
STUDY UNIT 1 – AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
Introduction:
Page 8
Conceptualisation of the Concept Aggravated Robbery:
Essence of the term includes “theft by violence”
Generally stated, a robbery includes the unlawful and intentional use of violence to take
property belonging to someone else
The following characteristics must be present for a crime to be constituted as a robbery:
o Unlawful and intentional act
o Theft of property
o Use of violence or threats of violence
o A causal link between the violence and taking of the property
The SAPS classifies robbery under the contact crime category
o Contact crime comprises crimes in which the victim is a direct target or the victim’s
property is targeted in the presence of the victim and he/she is threatened with the
use of violence or violence is used
In the South African context, if an offender has perpetrated a robbery using violence and/or
a weapon, he/she is charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances
The Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 defines aggravating circumstances as:
o Page 9
“Premeditated aggressive/violent behaviour with the motive of taking unauthorised items
through the means of aggression and weapons, such as a firearm or any sharp object or
tool that can cause injury and death, and as the violation of the judicial system of a
particular society and human beings’ right to safety and protection”
Subcategories of robbery with aggravating circumstances are car hijacking, robbery at
residential premises or house robbery, robbery at non-residential premises or business
robbery, cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery, bank robbery and truck hijacking
National Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS)
CIT crime in SA is an uncontrollable epidemic which seems to have no cure and it seems
like the police are losing the battle to the criminals who have become ruthless, brazen, plan
the robberies meticulously and will do whatever it takes to ensure that nothing gets in their
way of gaining access to the money
Nature and Extent of Aggravated Robbery:
Stats on page 10
Robbery at Residential Premises:
House robbery is considered a violent crime because it is committed while occupants are in
their home
Page 11
Carjacking:
The “unlawful and intentional forceful removal and appropriation of a motor vehicle
(excluding a truck) belonging to another”
,Robbery at Non-Residential Premises:
Robberies in the business sector are often confused with theft or fraud
o However, robberies at business premises have the distinguishing factor of violence
or the threat thereof
Business robbery is defined as the unlawful, intentional, and violent taking by force or threat
of force of anything from the care or custody of a business or financial establishment, with
or without injury, and regardless of the time when the crime is committed
CIT Robbery:
“The illegitimate and violent interception of cash while under the protection of a security
company, from an Armoured Vehicle (AV) en route to deliver or collect cash from a
bank/ATM
o A CIT robbery takes place where a security officer crossing the pavement to either
deliver cash from a motionless vehicle to the bank/ATM or to load cash from the
bank/ATM onto the inert vehicle is attacked and the cash is removed from them
and/or the stationery vehicle
The Typology of Robbers:
Amateur robbers
o Engage in limited planning
o Often seem unaware of the consequences of their involvement in robber
o Selection and more accessible targets
o Lack of experience
o Their type of interaction with violence and their use of weapons
o Tendency to work individually, targeting comparatively small amounts of money and
have a track record of “failed” or “attempted” robberies
Intermediate robbers
o Page 15
Professional and persistent robbers
o Smaller, rather elite group
o Robbery resembles a career and lifestyle
o Involves a dedication to crime and violence, and denotes a perspective of oneself as
a career robber and a villain
o Operate with known partners or associates and spend weeks developing strategies
when they plan a robbery
o Violence must become an integral part of the robber’s character
Modus Operandi (MO) of Robbers:
Perpetrators of trio crimes are relatively organised, and plan their attacks well
3 factors that influence MO
o Criminal background of the offender
o Media and literature
o Ad hoc influences
The Planning Stage:
Target selection
o Depends on the type of robber
o Page 17-19
Weapon selection
o Linked to the type of robbery that is executed
o Reasons why weapons are utilised in a robbery
Robberies where a firearm is used often result in higher average gains
Locations with property of high value often employ more security; therefore,
robbers need to match or exceed the level of security employed
, Robbers often use highly dangerous weapons to instil enough fear into victims
in order to overcome resistance and security measures
The Execution Stage:
Vehicle hijacking
o Majority of vehicle hijackings are perpetrated by crime syndicates, although the fact
that a perpetrator will hijack a vehicle for his own use shouldn’t be ruled out
o Mainly executed by 2 or 3 males
o Victims are mostly approached from the driver’s side and if more perpetrators are
involved, the vehicle is usually approached simultaneously from both sides
o Other techniques used are to follow their targeted victims home and to patrol
residential areas looking for preselected vehicles
o Another technique – pretend their vehicle has broken down and need assistance
Some pretend to want to buy a vehicle and take it for a test drive
o There are mainly 3 roles allocated to the hijackers
One pointing the gun
One driving the hijacked vehicle away
One searching the victim and the vehicle for weapons and anti-hijack devices
o Most hijacking occurred unexpectedly and often take less than 2 minutes to execute
o Often involve acts of violence accompanied by the intimidatory use of a firearm
o The victim is often physically assaulted and verbally threatened and sometimes
forcibly removed from the vehicle
o In some cases, the driver and/or passengers may be kidnapped and later dropped
off at another location
Robbery at residential premises
o Mostly committed by 2-3 male perpetrators who have known each other for a while
and have learnt to trust each other
o Syndicate driven
o Page 20-21
o Tools for gaining entry to the house were usually brought along, or otherwise the
robbers looked around for implements in the yard, garage or storeroom
o House robbers are extremely violent in general and don’t hesitate to use maximum
force, including murder, to achieve their end goals
o All the house robbers intimidated their victims during the robbery
Verbal threats or by shouting and swearing at victims
Business robbery
o Usually well-organised gangs of heavily armed offenders
o Use of force or the threat of force is present
Victim can be the owner, a customer, an employee, or even an on-duty guard
o Most cases, the robbers are armed
o Most are planned
o Often, the robbers are assisted by a person who is in the employment of the
business being robbed
This person will give the robbers information about amount of cash, where it is
held, and existing security measures
o Mainly committed during business hours
Choose a time that holds the least risk for them
Offender Motivation:
Greed and financial gain:
Availability of illegal and stolen firearms
Poverty
Market for stolen goods and hijacked vehicles
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