A TOTAL OF 959 PERSONS RESPONDED TO SURVEY QUESTIONS ASKED BY 24 VOLUNTEER STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY COURSE. INTERVIEWERS WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF 24 LOCATIONS WITHIN A 5-MILE RADIUS OF THE CITY CENTER. RESPONDENT ANSWERS WERE, WHEN POSSIBLE, ASSIGNED TO ONE OR NUMBERED CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO WHETHER THEY CONTAINED REFERENCE TO ABSENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL HARM, PEOPLE FROM WHOM THE MONEY WAS TAKEN (BOOKIES), GENERAL APPROVAL FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN BREAK THE LAW AND GET AWAY WITH IT, AND ANY OTHER REASON. THE MEAN PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO SAID NO TO HAVING ROBBERS CAUGHT WAS 30.9. BECAUSE THE VICTIMS OF THE ROBBERY WERE BOOKIES, CONSIDERATION OF THE PERCEIVED STATUS (FINANCIAL AND OTHERWISE) OF THE VICTIM WOULD SEEM LIKELY TO AFFECT PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL; 33.7 PERCENT OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION ON WHY SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ROBBERS ESCAPE DEALT WITH THE FACT THAT BOOKIES WERE INVOLVED. IF THE VICTIM HAD BEEN A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RESULTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. THE ABSENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AND THE DARING AND PLANNING OF THE ROBBERS APPEARED TO CAPTURE THE PUBLIC'S IMAGINATION AT THE EXPENSE OF SERIOUS CONCERN FOR THOSE INTIMIDATED AND AT THE EXPENSE OF MORAL AND LEGAL SANCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THEFT. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)