Abstract
A study was conducted examining the annual incidence of convenience store robberies and associated employee injuries in several metropolitan areas. Data on convenience store robbery related injuries were obtained from State Statistical Analysis Centers in nine states which included 19 metropolitan areas. A total of 12 homicides and 219 nonfatal injuries of convenience store employees was identified in the 1,835 convenience store robberies that occurred in a 1 year period between 1992 and 1993. A weapon was displayed but no injuries suffered in 1,071 robberies and in 238 robberies there was no weapon and no injury, but an employee was struck, pushed, or shoved. The proportion of robberies resulting in a homicide ranged from 0.000 to 0.013 and the proportion resulting in nonfatal injury ranged from 0.03 to 0.24 in the study areas. In Baltimore, Detroit, and Virginia, the proportions of convenience store robberies resulting in employee homicides and injuries equaled or exceeded 0.14. The authors conclude that selected metropolitan areas have high risk of employee injury in convenience store robberies and emphasize the need for improved robbery prevention programs.