The short definition of robbery is theft from a person by use of force or fear. The necessary elements of the crime are specific intent, theft from a person, by use of force or fear . The level of force or fear does not have to be great to meet the statutory requirement. Robberies can occur almost anywhere at anytime but tend to occur more often in anticipated settings and at expected times. All that is necessary is a motivated robber and an unwilling victim at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Robberies can occur in private or public spaces.
Robbers and victims can be friends, relatives or total strangers. Most robberies involve one robber and one victim and the crime from start to finish lasts less than a minute. Most commercial robbery victims are not injured during the transaction as long as long as they don t resist. Crime prevention methods differ depending on the setting, See my pages on Convenience Store Security and A Robbery at Wendy's . When someone uses force or fear against you to steal your car it s called carjacking .