Final answer:
The state has divided robbery into categories based on severity, use of force, and the attributes of the crime, such as involvement of a weapon. It is classified as a violent crime, and hence treated more seriously than nonviolent or property crimes. Variability in crime rates is influenced by socioeconomic factors, and police techniques during investigation often involve separating and strategically questioning suspects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Division of Robbery
States have chosen to divide the crime of robbery based on several attributes, such as whether the force or the threat of force was used, as well as the severity of the crime. Robberies are classified as a violent crime, which is more severe than nonviolent crime due to the use of force or the threat thereof. Armed robbery implies that a weapon was used, increasing the crime's gravity. Certain circumstances, like using an unlawful weapon, can lead to an incremental increase in the charges and thus in the punishment. In contrast, crimes such as larceny or theft without force are considered nonviolent or property crimes.
Identifying criminals often involves witness descriptions post-criminal activity, which can be ambiguous, with phrases like 'medium height' or ranges like 'between 5 foot 8 inches and 5 foot 10 inches' offering a high degree of uncertainty. Variability in crime rates may be influenced by factors such as income inequality, lack of opportunity, racism, poverty, poor schools, gang activity, drug, and alcohol abuse.
In scenarios involving multiple suspects where evidence may be limited, police might use separation and individual questioning to induce a suspect to confess or cooperate by providing information on their accomplice. This is often referred to in political science and economic game theory as 'defecting' versus 'cooperating'. Criminals are sometimes seen through the lens of cost-benefit analysis, where they weigh the benefits of the crime against the potential costs, including getting caught and facing punishment.