How Robberies Succeed or Fail: Analyzing Crime Caught on CCTV

This article analyzes how convenience store robberies work and why some take an unexpected turn and fail. It examines the situational dynamics of crime by studying behavioral and emotional dynamics between clerks and perpetrators during robberies comparatively. The focus is on perpetrators’ displays of threats and clerks’ seemingly irrational acts of noncompliance and resistance. The sample is comprised of 20 successful and failed robberies in the United States between 2010 and 2016. By qualitatively analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings, the study assesses what happens during such crimes. Analyzing footage uploaded to online video platforms such as YouTube, the study uses growing databases so far unexplored by sociological and criminological research. Findings suggest that successful store robberies follow specific situational rituals in which actors display adequate behaviors and emotions. Rituals are broken if perpetrators or victims act out of character and display, even unintentionally, unexpected behaviors or emotions. This exploratory study suggests that microlevel factors play a crucial role in what manifests as a robbery versus attempted robbery. Further, it highlights challenges and advantages of analyzing CCTV recordings uploaded online when studying crime caught on camera