The decision to commit robbery: the perspectives of Serbian robbers

While there is a considerable body of research on robbery, including interviews with those convicted of robbery offences, little of this research has been conducted on continental Europe. This research is the first in Serbia to ask incarcerated robbers directly about their preferred targets. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 117 robbers serving time at the penal institution in Sremska Mitrovica, during July and August 2013. This represented 13% of those imprisoned for robbery throughout various penitentiaries in the Republic of Serbia at the time of the research. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: in the first respondents were asked about factors involved in the preparation and execution of the act of robbery; in the second about factors that influenced the decision to commit robbery. While the emphasis placed on different factors varied with regard to the two sets of questions, the findings suggested that robbers were rational in their choice of target, taking account of accessibility and ease of escape, guardianship and likely profit.