“Smash and Grab” Retail Thefts: A comparative analysis from a criminal event’s perspective

• In Event: Routine Activities and Situational Perspectives

Abstract

Over the last decade, “smash and grab” retail theft has become an increasingly visible form of criminal activity in many U.S. cities and abroad. Often involving groups of offenders, these thefts target various types of retail establishments (e.g., electronic stores, luxury jewelry and fashion outlets, convenience stores) for a selective blitz attack and quick escape before apprehension. Guided by the criminal event perspective (Meier, Kennedy, and Sacco 2001), a content analysis of narrative and video accounts of a national sample of these retail thefts is conducted to assess the following research questions: (1) what are the socio-demographic, spatial, and temporal precursors for these offenses?, (2) what are the common and unique signatures of the modus operandi of these crimes across different settings?, and (3) what type of environmental designs and situational crime prevention techniques impede the completion of these crimes and enhance the risks of apprehending these offenders? The results of this study are discussed in terms of their implications for developing more effective policies and practices for reducing the motivations and opportunity structure for these crimes.

Authors

• Terance D. Miethe, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Anna Nakazawa, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Joshua Donnelly, University of Nevada, Las Vegas