| What is robbery? |
Robbery is the taking of
anything of value from another person by use of force, threats or
intimidation. If a deadly weapon is used or threatened it is aggravated
robbery. If a suspect makes a victim believe that he has a deadly weapon
by simulating a gun or by saying that he has a weapon, it is aggravated
robbery. Robbery is a class 4 felony. Aggravated robbery is a class 3
felony. |
| What is the difference between robbery and burglary? |
|
Robbery is the taking of something of
value from a person by force while burglary is the unlawful entering of
a premises to commit a crime therein, usually theft. Robbery is commonly
known as a "holdup" or a "stickup" and burglary is
known as a "break in" or "breaking and
entering." |
| What is extortion? |
| Extortion is committed when
a person forces another person to do something against his will (usually
give up money) by threat of death or bodily injury, extreme financial
hardship or damage to the person's reputation. Extortion is a class 4
felony. |
| What should I do if I have been robbed? |
| Call the police immediately
or as soon as possible. The sooner the police respond, the greater the
chance that the offender will be caught. If you are working in a business when you are robbed you should lock the doors, after calling the police. You should not touch anything that the robber may have touched. If possible, write down a description of the robber (height, weight, age, hair color, race, clothing, etc.) while it is still fresh in your mind. You should not attempt to resist an armed robber. |
| How do I contact someone in the Denver Police Robbery Unit? |
| Go to the "Contact
Us" page of the DPD Robbery Unit web site where the address,
phone numbers and e-mail addresses of all of the Denver robbery
detectives are listed. Any detective will be more than happy to help you
or answer your questions. |
| What is the difference between theft and theft from person? |
| Theft is the taking of
property that belongs to someone else (stealing). Theft from person is
committed when the taking of the property is from a person's control,
such as a purse snatch or a pickpocket, where the property is taken from
the person's hands or pockets. |
| How can I protect myself? |
| Go to the "Robbery
Prevention Tips" page for some tips, or contact any robbery
detective or police officer. |
| What is a carjacking? |
| Carjacking is the
popularized term for the taking of a motor vehicle from a person by use
of force, threats or intimidation. The actual crime is robbery, or
aggravated robbery, if a deadly weapon is used. |
| What is a dangerous weapon? |
| A dangerous weapon is a
machine gun, silencer, ballistic knife, short shotgun or short rifle. A
short shotgun is defined as a shotgun with an overall length of
less than 26" or a barrel length of less than 18" (also known
as a sawed-off shotgun). A short rifle is defined as a rifle with an
overall length of less than 26" or a barrel length of less than
16". Possession of a dangerous weapon is a class 5 felony. |
| What is an illegal weapon? |
| An illegal weapon is a
blackjack, gas gun, metallic knuckles, gravity knife or switchblade
knife. Possession of an illegal weapon is a class 1 misdemeanor. |