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69-397: Among the types of robbery are armed robbery , which involves the use of a weapon , and aggravated robbery , when someone brings with them a deadly weapon or something that appears to be a deadly weapon. Highway robbery or mugging takes place outside or in a public place such as a sidewalk, street, or parking lot. Carjacking is the act of stealing a car from a victim by force. Extortion

138-407: A commercial industry involved in the research and development , engineering , production, and servicing of military material, equipment, and facilities. Many industrialized countries have a domestic arms industry to supply their own military forces, and some also have a substantial trade in weapons for use by their citizens for self-defense, hunting, or sporting purposes. Contracts to supply

207-607: A broader context, weapons may be construed to include anything used to gain a tactical, strategic, material, or mental advantage over an adversary or enemy target. While ordinary objects such as sticks , rocks , bottles , chairs , and vehicles can be used as weapons , many objects are expressly designed for the purpose; these range from simple implements such as clubs , axes , spears , and swords to complicated modern firearms , tanks , intercontinental ballistic missiles , biological weapons , and cyberweapons . Something that has been repurposed, converted, or enhanced to become

276-603: A convenient way of referring to certain other offenses, but was not a term used in English law until 1968. Blackmail was originally a term from the Scottish Borders meaning payments rendered in exchange for protection from thieves and marauders. The "mail" part of blackmail derives from Middle English male meaning "rent or tribute". This tribute (male or reditus ) was paid in goods or labour ("nigri"); hence reditus nigri , or "blackmail". The word blackmail

345-405: A given country's military are awarded by governments, making arms contracts of substantial political importance. The link between politics and the arms trade can result in the development of a " military–industrial complex ", where the armed forces, commerce, and politics become closely linked. According to research institute SIPRI, the volume of international transfers of major weapons in 2010–2014

414-489: A lawful occupation and writing libelous letters or letters that provoke a breach of the peace, as well as use of intimidation for purposes of collecting an unpaid debt. In many jurisdictions, blackmail is a statutory offense, often criminal, carrying punitive sanctions for convicted perpetrators. Blackmail is the name of a statutory offense in the United States, England and Wales, and Australia, and has been used as

483-466: A number of issues around the potential ongoing risks from deployed weapons, the safe storage of weapons, and their eventual disposal when they are no longer effective or safe. Strange and exotic weapons are a recurring feature or theme in science fiction . In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now become a reality. Other science fiction weapons, such as force fields and stasis fields , remain purely fictional and are often beyond

552-418: A number of offences of robbery and aggravated robbery. If a robbery is foiled before it can be completed, an alternative offence (with the same penalty, given by section 8(2) of the 1968 Act) is assault; any act which intentionally or recklessly causes another to fear the immediate and unlawful use of force, with an intent to rob, will suffice. The following cases are relevant: Assault with intent to rob

621-418: A robbery will constitute an offence of handling . Robbery is an indictable-only offence . Under current sentencing guidelines, the punishment for robbery is affected by a variety of aggravating and mitigating factors. Particularly important is how much harm was caused to the victim and how much culpability the offender had (e.g. carrying a weapon or leading a group effort implies high culpability). Robbery

690-462: A theme when it touches on deeper concerns, often motivated by contemporary issues. One example is science fiction that deals with weapons of mass destruction like doomsday devices . Blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat . As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States , blackmail

759-420: A threat to reveal or publicize either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to family members or associates rather than to the general public. Acts of blackmail can also involve using threats of physical, mental or emotional harm, or of criminal prosecution, against the victim or someone close to

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828-413: A trespassory taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with the intent to steal from the person or presence of the victim by force or threat of force. The first six elements are the same as common law larceny. It is the last two elements that aggravate the crime to common law robbery. from the person or presence of the victim – robbery requires that the property be taken directly from

897-474: A weapon of war is termed weaponized , such as a weaponized virus or weaponized laser . The use of weapons has been a major driver of cultural evolution and human history up to today since weapons are a type of tool that is used to dominate and subdue autonomous agents such as animals and, by doing so, allow for an expansion of the cultural niche, while simultaneously other weapon users (i.e., agents such as humans, groups, and cultures) are able to adapt to

966-617: A worldwide crusade in the 1920s. Poison gas did not win battles, and the generals did not want it. The soldiers hated it far more intensely than bullets or explosive shells. By 1918, chemical shells made up 35 percent of French ammunition supplies, 25 percent of British, and 20 percent of American stock. The “Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous, or Other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare”, also known as

1035-478: A year, exceeding the National Crime Survey reported estimate. Robberies have been depicted, sometimes graphically, in various forms of media, and several robbers have become pop icons , such as Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger . Examples of media works focused on robberies include: Video games Payday: The Heist , Payday 2 and Payday 3 are games by Overkill Software where one of

1104-490: Is imprisonment for life . It is also subject to the mandatory sentencing regime under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 . Current sentencing guidelines advise that the sentence should be no longer than 20 years, for a high-harm, high-culpability robbery with other aggravating factors. The "starting point" sentences are: An offender may also serve a longer sentence if they are convicted of other offences alongside

1173-669: Is an indictable-only offence . It is punishable with imprisonment for life or for any shorter term. Assault with intent to rob is also subject to the mandatory sentencing regime under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 . Robbery is a statutory offence in Northern Ireland . It is created by section 8 of the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 . In the United States, robbery is generally treated as an aggravated form of common law larceny. Specific elements and definitions differ from state to state. The common elements of robbery are:

1242-412: Is divided into three categories which are, in increasing order of seriousness: street or less sophisticated commercial; dwelling; and professionally planned commercial. Robbery generally results in a custodial sentence. Only a low-harm, low-culpability robbery with other mitigating factors would result in an alternative punishment, in the form of a high level community order . The maximum legal punishment

1311-566: Is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a threat to do something that would cause a person to suffer embarrassment or financial loss. By contrast, in the Commonwealth its definition is wider: for example the laws of England and Wales and Northern Ireland state that: A person is guilty of blackmail if, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, he makes any unwarranted demand with menaces... In popular culture, 'blackmail' involves

1380-487: Is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force. Robbery is the only offence of aggravated theft. There are no offences of aggravated robbery. This requires evidence to show a theft as set out in section 1(1) of the Theft Act 1968. In R v Robinson

1449-418: Is in a person's presence when it is within the area of their immediate control. The property has to be close enough to the victim's person that the victim could have prevented its taking if he/she had not been placed in fear or intimidation. by force or threat of force – the use of force or threat of force is the defining element of robbery. For there to be robbery there must be "force or fear" in perpetrating

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1518-412: Is not in order. The victim must be placed in apprehension or fear that force would be used immediately before or at the time of the taking of the property. A threat is not immediate if the wrongdoer threatens to use force of violence some future time. Robbery occurs if an aggressor forcibly snatched a mobile phone or if they used a knife to make an implied threat of violence to the holder and then took

1587-400: Is that rents in the Scottish Borders were often paid in produce of the land, called " greenmail " ('green rent'), suggesting "blackmail" as a counterpart paid perforce to the reivers. Alternatively, Mackay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blathaich pronounced (the th silent) bla-ich (to protect) and mal (tribute, payment), cf. buttock mail . He notes that the practice

1656-425: Is the threat to do something illegal, or the offer to not do something illegal, in the event that goods are not given, primarily using words instead of actions. Criminal slang for robbery includes "blagging" (armed robbery, usually of a bank) or "stick-up" (derived from the verbal command to robbery targets to raise their hands in the air), and " steaming " (organized robbery on underground train systems). In Canada,

1725-499: Is the trafficking of contraband weapons and ammunition . What constitutes legal trade in firearms varies widely, depending on local and national laws. In 2001, the United Nations had made a protocol against the manufacturing and trafficking of illicit arms. This protocol made governments dispose illegal arms, and to licence new firearms being produced, to ensure them being legitimate. It was signed by 122 parties. There are

1794-493: Is variously derived from the word for mailing (in modern terms, protection racket ) paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. The "mail" part of blackmail derives from Middle English male , "rent, tribute". This tribute was paid in goods or labour ( reditus nigri , or "blackmail"); the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi , or "white rent" (denoting payment by silver). An alternative version

1863-517: The Criminal Code makes robbery an indictable offence , subject to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment . If the accused uses a restricted or prohibited firearm to commit robbery, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for the first offence, and seven years for subsequent offences. Robbery is a statutory offence in the Republic of Ireland . It is created by section 14(1) of

1932-484: The Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 , which provides: A person is guilty of robbery if he or she steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force. Robbery is a statutory offence created by section 8(1) of the Theft Act 1968 which reads: A person

2001-467: The Geneva Protocol , was issued in 1925 and was accepted as policy by all major countries. In 1937, poison gas was manufactured in large quantities but not used except against nations that lacked modern weapons or gas masks. Many modern military weapons, particularly ground-based ones, are relatively minor improvements to weapon systems developed during World War II. World War II marked perhaps

2070-548: The Schöningen spears , eight wooden throwing spears dating back more than 300,000 years. At the site of Nataruk in Turkana, Kenya, numerous human skeletons dating to 10,000 years ago may present evidence of traumatic injuries to the head, neck, ribs, knees, and hands, including obsidian projectiles embedded in the bones that might have been caused by arrows and clubs during conflict between two hunter-gatherer groups. But

2139-739: The Theft Act 1968 . See sections 40 to 43 of the Larceny Act 1861 . Section 23 of the Larceny Act 1916 read: 23.-(1) Every person who - shall be guilty of felony and on conviction thereof liable to penal servitude for life, and, in addition, if a male, to be once privately whipped. (2) Every person who robs any person shall be guilty of felony and on conviction thereof liable to penal servitude for any term not exceeding fourteen years. (3) Every person who assaults any person with intent to rob shall be guilty of felony and on conviction thereof liable to penal servitude for any term not exceeding five years. This section provided maximum penalties for

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2208-580: The arquebus were much more powerful than human-powered weapons. Firearms became increasingly important and effective during the 16th–19th centuries, with progressive improvements in ignition mechanisms followed by revolutionary changes in ammunition handling and propellant. During the American Civil War , new applications of firearms, including the machine gun and ironclad warship , emerged that would still be recognizable and useful military weapons today, particularly in limited conflicts . In

2277-585: The trireme , were in use by the 7th century BC. During the first First Punic War , the use of advanced warships contributed to a Roman victory over the Carthaginians. European warfare during post-classical history was dominated by elite groups of knights supported by massed infantry (both in combat and ranged roles). They were involved in mobile combat and sieges , which involved various siege weapons and tactics. Knights on horseback developed tactics for charging with lances , providing an impact on

2346-409: The 19th century, warship propulsion changed from sail power to fossil fuel -powered steam engines . Since the mid-18th century North American French-Indian war through the beginning of the 20th century, human-powered weapons were reduced from the primary weaponry of the battlefield to yielding gunpowder-based weaponry. Sometimes referred to as the "Age of Rifles", this period was characterized by

2415-569: The 4th century BC. Cavalry developed once horses were bred to support the weight of a human. The horse extended the range and increased the speed of attacks. Alexander's conquest saw the increased use of spears and shields in the Middle East and Western Asia as a result Greek culture spread which saw many Greek and other European weapons be used in these regions and as a result many of these weapons were adapted to fit their new use in war In addition to land-based weaponry, warships , such as

2484-405: The application of force and the stealing took place in many different locations, and it was not possible to establish the timing; it was held that the appropriation necessary to prove theft was a continuing act, and the jury could correctly convict of robbery. This approach was followed in R v Lockley (1995) when the force was applied to a shopkeeper after property had been taken. It was argued that

2553-442: The beginning of the implementation of firearms in western warfare. Guns and rockets were introduced to the battlefield. Firearms are qualitatively different from earlier weapons because they release energy from combustible propellants , such as gunpowder , rather than from a counterweight or spring. This energy is released very rapidly and can be replicated without much effort by the user. Therefore, even early firearms such as

2622-481: The defendant threatened the victim with a knife in order to recover money which he was actually owed. His conviction for robbery was quashed on the basis that Robinson had an honest, although unreasonable, belief (under Section 2(1)(a) of the Act) in his legal right to the money. See also R v Skivington [1968] 1 QB 166, [1967] 2 WLR 655, 131 JP 265, 111 SJ 72, [1967] 1 All ER 483, 51 Cr App R 167, CA. In R v Hale (1978)

2691-498: The development of ancient weapons. It was not the introduction of early Iron Age swords , however, as they were not superior to their bronze predecessors, but rather the domestication of the horse and widespread use of spoked wheels by c.  2000 BC . This led to the creation of the light, horse-drawn chariot , whose improved mobility proved important during this era. Spoke-wheeled chariot usage peaked around 1300 BC and then declined, ceasing to be militarily relevant by

2760-426: The development of firearms for infantry and cannons for support, as well as the beginnings of mechanized weapons such as the machine gun . Artillery pieces such as howitzers were able to destroy masonry fortresses and other fortifications, and this single invention caused a revolution in military affairs , establishing tactics and doctrine that are still in use today. An important feature of industrial age warfare

2829-428: The development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, from small arms and heavy weapons to weapons of mass destruction . Arms control is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy, which seeks to impose such limitations upon consenting participants, although it may also comprise efforts by a nation or group of nations to enforce limitations upon a non-consenting country. Arms trafficking

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2898-409: The end of this period revolutionized warfare. Formations of musketeers , protected by pikemen , came to dominate open battles, and the cannon replaced the trebuchet as the dominant siege weapon . The Ottoman used the cannon to destroy much of the fortifications at Constantinople which would change warfare as gunpowder became more available and technology improved The European Renaissance marked

2967-652: The enemy formations, and then drawing more practical weapons (such as swords ) once they entered melee. By contrast, infantry, in the age before structured formations, relied on cheap, sturdy weapons such as spears and billhooks in close combat and bows from a distance. As armies became more professional, their equipment was standardized, and infantry transitioned to pikes . Pikes are normally seven to eight feet in length and used in conjunction with smaller sidearms (short swords). In Eastern and Middle Eastern warfare, similar tactics were developed independent of European influences. The introduction of gunpowder from Asia at

3036-437: The facts in R v Harman , which did not amount to robbery in 1620, would not amount to robbery now. It was held in R v Dawson and James (1978) that "force" is an ordinary English word and its meaning should be left to the jury. This approach was confirmed in R v Clouden (1985) and Corcoran v Anderton (1980), both handbag-snatching cases. Stealing may involve a young child who is not aware that taking other persons' property

3105-470: The interpretation of warfare at Nataruk has been challenged due to conflicting evidence. The earliest ancient weapons were evolutionary improvements of late Neolithic implements, but significant improvements in materials and crafting techniques led to a series of revolutions in military technology . The development of metal tools began with copper during the Copper Age (about 3,300 BC) and

3174-476: The interwar period (between WWI and WWII) with the continuous evolution of weapon systems by all major industrial powers. The major armament firms were Schneider-Creusot (based in France), Škoda Works (Czechoslovakia), and Vickers (Great Britain). The 1920s were committed to disarmament and the outlawing of war and poison gas, but rearmament picked up rapidly in the 1930s. The munitions makers responded nimbly to

3243-447: The legal definitions of offences in countries, or the different methods of offence counting and recording". Also not every single crime is reported, meaning two things; (1) robbery rates are going to appear lower than they actually are and; (2) the percentage of crime that is not reported is going to be higher in some countries then others, for example – in one country 86% of the robberies were reported, whereas in another country only 67% of

3312-454: The main objectives is to steal items of monetary value at places such as banks, art galleries, armored trucks, and more. Weapon A weapon , arm , or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill . Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting , crime (e.g., murder ), law enforcement , self-defense , warfare , or suicide . In

3381-572: The manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Countries that regulate access to firearms will typically restrict access to certain categories of firearms and then restrict the categories of persons who may be granted a license for access to such firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting (a.k.a. target shooting), self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, with different sets of requirements, permissions, and responsibilities. International treaties and agreements place restrictions on

3450-453: The most frantic period of weapon development in the history of humanity. Massive numbers of new designs and concepts were fielded, and all existing technologies were improved between 1939 and 1945. The most powerful weapon invented during this period was the nuclear bomb ; however, many other weapons influenced the world, such as jet aircraft and radar , but were overshadowed by the visibility of nuclear weapons and long-range rockets. Since

3519-402: The person of the victim or from their presence. This is different from larceny which simply requires that property be taken from the victim's possession, actual or constructive. Property is "on the victim's person" if the victim is actually holding the property, or the property is contained within clothing the victim is wearing or is attached to a victim's body such as a watch or earrings. Property

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3588-536: The phone. The person being threatened does not need to be the owner of the property. It is not necessary that the victim was actually frightened, but the defendant must have put or sought to put the victim or some other person in fear of immediate force. The force or threat may be directed against a third party, for example a customer in a jeweller's shop. Theft accompanied by a threat to damage property will not constitute robbery, but it may disclose an offence of blackmail . Dishonestly dealing with property stolen during

3657-465: The point of being able to ensure the destruction of the Earth by 100 fold, a new tactic had to be developed. With this realization, armaments development funding shifted back to primarily sponsoring the development of conventional arms technologies for support of limited wars rather than total war . The arms industry is a global industry that involves the sale and manufacture of weaponry. It consists of

3726-529: The rapidly shifting strategic and economic landscape. The main purchasers of munitions from the big three companies were Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey – and, to a lesser extent, Poland, Finland, the Baltic States, and the Soviet Union. Realistic critics understood that war could not really be outlawed, but its worst excesses might be banned. Poison gas became the focus of

3795-490: The realization of mutual assured destruction (MAD), the nuclear option of all-out war is no longer considered a survivable scenario. During the Cold War in the years following World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a nuclear arms race . Each country and their allies continually attempted to out-develop each other in the field of nuclear armaments. Once the joint technological capabilities reached

3864-613: The realms of known physical possibility. At its most prosaic, science fiction features an endless variety of sidearms , mostly variations on real weapons such as guns and swords . Among the best-known of these are the phaser used in the Star Trek television series, films, and novels, and the lightsaber and blaster featured in the Star Wars movies, comics, novels, and TV series. In addition to adding action and entertainment value, weaponry in science fiction sometimes becomes

3933-510: The robberies were reported. The last thing to note is that crime will vary by certain neighborhoods or areas in each country, so, just because a nationwide rate is a specified rate, does not mean that everywhere in that country retains the same amount of danger or safety. A 1983 study by the Department of Justice estimated that the amount of robberies in the US at schools alone may reach one million

4002-483: The robbery, such as assault and grievous bodily harm . Robbery was an offence under the common law of England. Matthew Hale provided the following definition: Robbery is the felonious and violent taking of any money or goods from the person of another, putting him in fear, be the value thereof above or under one shilling. The common law offence of robbery was abolished for all purposes not relating to offences committed before 1 January 1969 by section 32(1)(a) of

4071-494: The theft should be regarded as complete by this time, and R v Gomez (1993), should apply; the court disagreed, preferring to follow R v Hale . The threat or use of force must take place immediately before or at the time of the theft . Force used after the theft is complete will not turn the theft into a robbery. The words "or immediately after" that appeared in section 23(1)(b) of the Larceny Act 1916 were deliberately omitted from section 8(1). The book Archbold said that

4140-498: The theft. Questions concerning the degree of force necessary for robbery have been the subject of much litigation. Merely snatching the property from the victim's person is not sufficient force unless the victim resists or one of the items is attached or carried in such a way that a significant amount of force must be used to free the item from the victim's person. For robbery the victim must be placed in "fear" of immediate harm by threat or intimidation. The threat need not be directed at

4209-419: The time of the theft. Force used after the theft will turn the theft into a robbery unless the theft is complete. The theft is considered completed when the perpetrator reaches a place of temporary safety with the property. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime notes "that when using the figures, any cross-national comparisons should be conducted with caution because of the differences that exist between

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4278-485: The victim personally. Threats to third parties are sufficient. The threat must be one of present rather than future personal harm. Fear does not mean "fright", it means apprehension – an awareness of the danger of immediate bodily harm. The maximum sentence for robbery in California is 9 years, according to Penal Code section 213(a)(1)(A). The threat or use of force does not have to take place immediately before or at

4347-417: The victim. It is normally carried out for personal gain, most commonly of position, money, or property. Blackmail may also be considered a form of extortion and may be covered in the same statutory provision as extortion. Although the two are generally synonymous, extortion is the taking of personal property by threat of future harm. Blackmail is the use of threat to prevent another from engaging in

4416-507: The weapons of enemies by learning, triggering a continuous process of competitive technological, skill, and cognitive improvement ( arms race ). The use of objects as weapons has been observed among chimpanzees , leading to speculation that early hominids used weapons as early as five million years ago. However, this cannot be confirmed using physical evidence because wooden clubs, spears, and unshaped stones would have left an ambiguous record. The earliest unambiguous weapons to be found are

4485-461: The wide introduction of aircraft into warfare and naval warfare with the introduction of aircraft carriers . Above all, it promised the military commanders independence from horses and a resurgence in maneuver warfare through the extensive use of motor vehicles. The changes that these military technologies underwent were evolutionary but defined their development for the rest of the century. This period of innovation in weapon design continued in

4554-410: Was technological escalation – innovations were rapidly matched through replication or countered by another innovation. World War I marked the entry of fully industrialized warfare as well as weapons of mass destruction ( e.g. , chemical and biological weapons ), and new weapons were developed quickly to meet wartime needs. The technological escalation during World War I was profound, including

4623-434: Was 16 percent higher than in 2005–2009, and the arms sales of the world's 100 largest private arms-producing and military services companies totaled $ 420 billion in 2018. The production, possession, trade, and use of many weapons are controlled. This may be at a local or central government level or by international treaty. Examples of such controls include: All countries have laws and policies regulating aspects such as

4692-700: Was common in the Scottish Highlands as well as the Borders . In the Irish language , the term cíos dubh , meaning " black rent ", was used for similar exactions. Some scholars have argued that blackmail should not be a crime. Objections to the criminalization of blackmail often rest on what legal scholars call "the paradox of blackmail": it takes two separate actions that, in many cases, people are legally and morally entitled to do, and criminalizes them if done together. One American legal scholar uses

4761-632: Was followed by the Bronze Age , leading to the creation of the Bronze Age sword and similar weapons. During the Bronze Age, the first defensive structures and fortifications appeared as well, indicating an increased need for security. Weapons designed to breach fortifications followed soon after, such as the battering ram , which was in use by 2500 BC. The development of ironworking around 1300 BC in Greece had an important impact on

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