No crime is as synonymous with America as bank robbery. Though the number of bank robberies nationwide has declined, bank robbery continues to captivate the public and jeopardize the safety of banks and their employees. In A History of Heists, Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella explore how bank robbers have influenced American culture as much as they have reflected it. Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Willie Sutton, and Patty Hearst are among the most famous figures in the history of crime in the United States. Jesse James used his training as a Confederate guerrilla to make bank robbery a political act. John Dillinger capitalized on the public’s scorn of banks during the Great Depression and became America’s first Public Enemy Number One. When she held up a bank with the leftist Symbionese Liberation Army, Patty Hearst fueled the country’s social unrest. Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella delve into the backgrounds and motivations of the robbers, and explore how they are as complex as the nation whose banks they have plundered. But as much as the story of bank robbery in America focuses on the thieves, it is also a story of those who investigate the heists. As bank robbers became more sophisticated, so did the police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies. This captivating history showshow bank robbery shaped the modern FBI, and how it continues to cultivate America’s fascination with the noble outlaw: bandits seen, rightly or wrongly, as battling unjust authority.

Robbery is a particularly important and interesting type of crime. It is important because of the psychological and physical trauma suffered by the million victims each year, and because of the fear engendered by the threat of robbery; this threat causes changes in lifestyle that are destructive to social life and the sense of community in urban areas. Robbery is particularly interesting to criminologists because it is the only one of seven traditional FBI Index crimes that is both a property crime and a violent crime. It shares with other crimes of property the primary motivations (money), and the fact that in most cases the perpetrators do not know their victims. It shares with other types of violent crime a fairly high probability of victim injury or even death, the face-to-face encounter between perpetrator and victim, and the extreme overrepresentation of males and blacks among perpetrators (and, to a lesser extent, among victims). Developing an empirical basis for criminal justice system policy with respect to robbery requires more than descriptive information; unfortunately, there is no automatic connection between our ability to describe or diagnose a problem, and our ability to intervene effectively to mitigate the problem. Needless to say, our ability to provide reliable descriptive information on robbery is more advanced than our ability to assess the potential effectiveness of policy interventions. The last chapter of this report suggests a useful framework for understanding the robbery process from a policy perspective, and summarizes research that is germane to several specific policy options.

I-Way Robbery is for security, investigative, law enforcement, and other criminal justice professionals, offering a unique look at the Internet as the new crime environment for the 21st century. The book provides an overview of the Internet, its impact on nations, societies, criminals, security officers, and law enforcement professionals, and includes recommended basic, protective measures. I-Way Robbery is written in non-technical terms. It is also an excellent reference for business and government agency managers who must understand their responsibilities as they relate to asset protection - especially those who have on and off ramps connected to the I-Way. Boni and Kovacich start with the basics and teach users about the internet before teaching them about the security risks. This addresses the subject from the non-information systems perspective and educates the average user about the overall risks and appropriate protective measures they should enforce and follow. This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the pitfalls and precautions of doing business on the internet. I-Way Robbery: Crime on the Internet, uniquely approaches the much talked about topic of Internet Crime and security. It is written for anyone who wants a basic understanding of the Internet crime environment now and into the 21st Century. It covers related Internet business, government, global, laws, politics and privacy issues; techniques being used to commit crimes; what can be done about it; and what challenges the future may hold including topics such as information warfare. Drawing on their decades of experience in high-technology and Internet crime investigations William Boni and Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich have written not only an excellent reference book for business and government agency managers, small business owners, and teachers, but for anyone who drives along the I-Way. Addresses the subject of internet security from the non-information systems perspective Detailed incident reports to fully illustrate the specific issues readers must understand to fully appreciate the risks of I-Way activity Covers a broad range of issues