Ram-raiding is a type of
burglary in which a heavy vehicle is
driven into the windows or doors of a building, usually a
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
or
jeweller
A bench jeweler is an artisan who uses a combination of skills to make and repair jewelry. Some of the more common skills that a bench jeweler might employ include antique restoration, silversmith, Goldsmith, stone setting, engraving, fabricat ...
'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.
Commercial properties in areas prone to ram-raids often erect barriers or obstructions, such as
bollards, 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, fun ...
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 creat ...
* 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 milita ...
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