Bank Robbery in Australia

Disclaimer: This research paper does not necessarily reflect the policy position of the Commonwealth Government. Adam Graycar Director Bank robbery is costly at both a human level and a financial level. In order to minimise these costs, crime prevention measures need to be applied that are appropriate to the methods employed by bank robbers. Bank robbery has traditionally been seen as the domain of “professional” armed offenders, although there is little evidence to suggest that all bank robbers today are professional, or even armed. This paper examines recent trends in bank robbery and how robbers operate. It presents information collated by the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) and contrasts findings with a similar analysis of Australian bank robbery conducted in the 1980s. Results suggest that Australian bank robbery in Australia is on the decline, and that the types of robbers committing such offences may have changed over the past two decades: they are planning less, using fewer weapons, and instead relying more on sheer numbers to intimidate bank staff. It seems that these new methods are less profitable for offenders because bank robbers fail more often than they did in the 1980s. Unfortunately, appropriate security measures to contend with changing robbery methods are not easily prescribed, although the present research provides information that could help to enhance crime prevention in this area.