Armed and Dangerous? The Use of Firearms in Robbery

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Recent years have witnessed substantial and sustained increases in the number of armed robberies recorded in England and Wales. Drawing upon an analysis of police records and interviews with convicted armed robbers, this study explores the circumstances in which such offences take place and the extent to which the guns used in robbery are actually capable of discharging lethal shot. It is hoped that this investigation will increase understanding of the phenomenon of firearm use in crime and that it will contribute to a rational consideration of what would constitute appropriate responses by potential victims, the police and other agencies of the criminal justice system.