The Australian Institute of Criminology’s Armed Robbery in Australia 2009-10: National Armed Robbery Monitoring Program (NARMP) report attempts to present a detailed understanding of the characteristics and nature of armed robberies committed in Australia. Authors Maria Borzycki and Georgina Fuller review key information given to police from 12,500 victims across Australia between 2009 and 2010.
Figures show that armed robbery has continued to decrease from a rate of victimisation of 33 persons per 100,000 in 2003 to a rate of 18 persons per 100,000 in 2010. Sixteen per cent of all incidents over the seven-year period involved a firearm, with a low of 13 per cent in 2005 (n=758) and a high of 18 per cent in 2010 (n=825). The NARMP report summarises that effective crime prevention requires more complex and thorough analysis to better understand the vulnerabilities associated with particular victims or locations. This understanding and an emphasis on focused crime prevention strategies will go a long way to ensure the decrease in armed robberies continues.