Bank robberies by an Asian gang: an assessment of the routine activities theory.

Abstract

It was reported for the first time that a series of bank robberies were committed by an Asian gang group in a major southern city. The bank robberies showed a variety of operational methods. The purpose of this descriptive study is to apply the routine activities theory to explain the causal factors of the robberies. The analysis shows that the six Asian bank robberies resulted from a supply of motivated offenders, the availability of suitable targets, and a low level of capable guardians against crime. Findings suggest that crime-specific measures are an appropriate method for examining the merits of the routine activities theory.