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Robbery accounts for almost half the crimes of violence in the United States today. There are many books written on famous robbers, but few on the crime of robbery. This book explores armed robbery from many viewpoints. The actual words used by the robber to describe the crime, the use of violence and his experiences “on the run” are quoted at length. The victim is also allowed to tell his story. Their accounts contribute to the understanding of the crime and its impact on victims. Lieutenant Donald Brannan, who spent eleven years in the Denver Police Department investigating robberies, is co-author of chapters on the investigation of robbery and false reports of armed robbery.

A comprehensive and timely analysis of bombing and arson, this book explores such topics as bombs and their effects; bombers, arsonists, and their motivations; and the victims and targets of these crimes. The urban guerilla, the bombing campaign in Northern Ireland, a psychiatric study of an airplane bomber, bomb threats and disposal, and the investigation and punishment of these crimes are also discussed. Combining firsthand experience with personal interviews, this report will provide crucial information to a number of concerned parties. Psychiatrists and psychologists will appreciate the close attention given to the psychological functioning and personality of the offender. Fire investigators will find important news information on arsonists, including the pyromaniac. Police investigators, bomb disposal personnel and interested laymen will find it indispensable to a clear understanding of the subject. All will find the book engrossing and insightful.

This is a practical overview on burglary, theft, and the perpetrators of these most common crimes. The scope of the text is broad; the author covers everything from the offenders to the victims, from selection of partners to psychology of the criminal, from safecracking to computer theft, from organized automobile thievery to shoplifting, from false burglary reports to criminal interrogation, from prevention to investigation, from arrest to punishment. The psychiatric evaluations of over one hundred offenders that form the core of this study are augmented by more informal interviews with criminals, fences and victims; on-the-street experience with burglary detectives; and the contributions of experts in the areas of evidence and investigation. Police detectives and other law enforcement officers will particularly appreciate this book, but it will also be useful to private investigators, attorneys, psychologists, psychiatrists, probation and parole officers, criminologists, and related professionals.