Is robbery becoming more violent? An analysis of robbery murder trends since 1968

According to the police-generated data, 1973 was a turning point. Robbery murders as a percentage of both total homicides and total robberies were increasing before 1973, but not thereafter. Indeed, a substantial reduction in the robbery murder-robbery ratio occurred in 1981. Thus, there is little support for the fears that there is a new breed of street criminals who cause more serious injuries and deaths in robberies. Very recent trends point in the other direction. Killing a robbery victim appears to be going out of fashion.

Duke Scholars

Author Philip J. Cook Sanford School of Public Policy