Ram-raiding is a type of
burglary
Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...
in which a heavy vehicle is
driven into the windows or doors of a building, usually a
department store or
jeweller's shop, to allow the perpetrators to loot it.
Overview
The term came into widespread use after a series of such raids in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
, Northern Ireland, in 1979 that was covered in news reports and in countries such as Australia that inspired a series of similar crimes.
Notably, large trucks are used to break into technology companies and steal high-value equipment for resale on the
black market
A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the s ...
.
Commercial properties in areas prone to ram-raids often erect barriers or obstructions, such as
bollard
A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. It now also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to prevent automotive v ...
s, to discourage such attacks.
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine (in British English) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, fund ...
s are also targets of ram-raiding, with criminals smashing the machines to steal cash boxes.
Many companies have come up with solutions to ram-raiding.
'Raminator' foils ATM ram raids.
''The Daily Telegraph.'' 21 Aug. 2008. Everything from electronic bollards to electronic barriers has been employed to keep property from the raiders.
Another solution is security guards, but round-the-clock teams are expensive and often not the most economical way of dealing with ram-raiding.
See also
* Smash and grab
A smash and grab is a particular form of burglary or looting that involves smashing a barrier, usually a display window in a shop or a showcase, grabbing valuables, and then making a quick getaway, without concern for setting off alarms or creati ...
* Vehicle-ramming attack
A vehicle-ramming attack is an assault in which a perpetrator deliberately rams a vehicle into a building, crowd of people, or another vehicle. According to Stratfor Global Intelligence analysts, this attack represents a relatively new militan ...
References
External links
* {{cite news , url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/6467475.stm , title= Ram-raid gang steals cash machine , publisher= BBC , date= March 2007 , location= Leeds
Burglary
Car crime