INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED ON EVERY ARMED ROBBERY REPORTED TO THE POLICE AND INCLUDED THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE VICTIM AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE WEAPON USED, THE MODUS OPERANDI, AND THE VEHICLE. STATISTICAL REPORT FORMS WERE EMPLOYED TO COLLECT DATA FROM CRIME INVESTIGATIONS BY POLICE OFFICERS. ROBBERIES WERE CLASSIFID ACCORDING TO THE TYPOLOGY OF A MAJOR ROBBERY STUDY PERFORMED BY MCCLINTLOCK. IN 1976, 21 PERCENT OF ALL ARMED ROBBERIES IN VICTORIA AND 19 PERCENT OF ALL ARMED ROBBERIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES WERE COMMITTED ON HIGHWAYS OR STREETS. MORE CHEMIST SHOP ROBBERIES WERE COMMITTED IN VICTORIA THAN IN NEW SOUTH WALES, BUT MORE RETAIL STORE ROBBERIES OCCURRED IN NEW SOUTH WALES THAN IN VICTORIA. BANK ROBBERIES WERE MORE OF A PROBLEM IN VICTORIA, BOTH PROPORTIONATELY AND IN ACTUAL NUMBERS. OTHER TYPES OF ARMED ROBBERIES INVOLVED PETROL STATIONS AND TAXIS. WHEN OFFENSES WERE CLASSIFID BY TIME OF COMMISSION, THERE WAS A SLIGHT TENDENCY FOR ROBBERIES IN VICTORIA TO BE COMMITTED MORE OFTEN IN DAYLIGHT. THERE WERE MORE ATTACKS IN NEW SOUTH WALES ON ISOLATED INDIVIDUALS. APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF ALL OFFENSES IN BOTH STATES INVOLVED ROBBER(S) ESCAPING BY CAR. IN MOST CASES, ONLY ONE VEHICLE WAS USED. ESCAPES ON FOOT WERE NEARLY AS COMMON AS THE USE OF CARS. IN 1976, 322 FIREARMS WERE USED IN NEW SOUTH WALES AND 236 IN VICTORIA TO COMMIT ROBBERIES. THERE WERE NINE HANDGUNS STOLEN FROM BANKS IN VICTORIA AND FIVE IN NEW SOUTH WALES. THE PROPERTY STOLEN CONSISTED MOSTLY OF CASH AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN 80 PERCENT OF THE OFFENSES. ONLY ONE OFFENDER WAS INVOLVED IN ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE CASES. THE PRIMARY MEANS OF THREATENING VICTIMS WAS BY FIREARMS, ALTHOUGH ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE WEAPONS USED WERE KNIVES OR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS. ONE REFERENCE IS CITED. (DEP)