Property crime

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Property crime is a category of crime, usually involving private property, that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime is a crime to obtain money, property, or some other benefit. This may involve force, or the threat of force, in cases like robbery or extortion. Since these crimes are committed in order to enrich the perpetrator they are considered property crimes. Crimes against property are divided into two groups: destroyed property and stolen property. When property is destroyed, it could be called arson or vandalism. Examples of the act of stealing property is robbery or embezzlement.

Contents

Property crimes are high-volume crimes, with cash, electronics (e.g. televisions), power tools, cameras, and jewelry often targeted. [1] "Hot products" tend to be items that are concealable, removable, available, valuable, and enjoyable, with an ease of "disposal" being the most important characteristic. [2]

Types of property crime

Arson

Arson involves any intentional fire setting or attempting to set fire. It is also considered arson if one burns one's own property. A frequent motive for arson is insurance fraud, with the fire staged to appear accidental. [3] Other motives for arson include desire to commit vandalism or mischief, for thrill or excitement, for revenge, to conceal other crimes, or as a hate crime. [4] The Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 was established to protect places of worship.

Burglary

Burglary of residences, retail establishments, and other commercial facilities involves breaking and entering, and stealing property. Attempted forcible entry into a property is also classified as burglary, in the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) definition.

As of 1999, there were 1.4 million residential burglaries reported in the United States, which was a record low number, not seen since 1966. [5] Though, up to 50% of burglaries are not reported to the police. [5] The clearance rate for burglary is low, with only 12.7% of cases being solved in the United States in 2005, [6] and 23% in the United Kingdom. [5]

In the United States, burglary rates are highest in August and lowest in February, with weather, length-of-day, and other factors having an effect on rates. [5] Fall and Winter are peak seasons for burglary in Denmark. [7] Most residential burglaries occur on weekdays, between 10 and 11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m, when homes are the least likely to be occupied. [5] The temporal pattern is reversed for non-residential burglaries, which are more likely to occur at night and on weekends when commercial premises are unattended. [8]

Burglary at single-family home construction sites is an increasing problem in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Japan, and elsewhere in the world, with burglary of tools and equipment at residential subdivision construction sites comprising between 5 and 20 percent of building costs. [9] In the United States, equipment worth $300 million to $1 billion is stolen each year. [10] Large-scale tract developers are hardest hit by this form of crime. [11] In 2019 alone, American homes and businesses sustained nearly $13 billion worth of damage or loss from burglaries. Distraction burglary is a form of burglary where the offender(s) trick or dupe the occupant or distract them, allowing co-offender(s) to gain access and commit burglary. [12] The elderly are particularly vulnerable to distraction burglary. [12]

Some crime prevention programs, such as Neighborhood Watch, have shown little effectiveness in reducing burglary and other crime, [5] though can be effective when at least some community participants are home during the weekdays, thus avoiding any large gaps in the Neighborhood Watch during the peak residential property crime hours of 10am to 11am and 1pm to 3pm.[ citation needed ]

Extortion

Extortion is the use of threats to obtain the property of another person. Some threats may include: future harm, destroying one's property, injuring one's character or reputation, or death.

Theft

Theft of cash is most common, over everything else, followed by vehicle parts, clothing, and tools. [2]

In 2005, only 18% of reported cases of larceny/theft were cleared in the United States. [6]

Shoplifting is a specific type of theft, with products taken from retail shops without paying. Items popular with shoplifters include cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and fashionable clothing. [2]

Bicycle theft

Bicycle theft is a crime involving theft of a bicycle. Those looking to steal bikes can use a variety of different methods in order to do so.

  • Lifting: If the bike is locked to an insecure structure such as a small sign or tree, the thief is able to lift the bike along with its lock off of the structure.
  • Cutting: A thief may use a bolt cutter, hack saw, or angle grinder to cut through the bicycle lock.
  • Picking: A thief may pick a lock of locks that require a keyhole.

Embezzlement

Embezzlement is the unlawful taking of property by someone whom it was entrusted to. For example, if a named person trusts their friend enough to allow them to hold their wallet, and the friend goes home without returning the wallet with the intention of keeping the money, the friend would have committed embezzlement.

Larceny

Larceny is the unlawful taking of another person's property with the intention to deprive the owner of it. If the stolen object is above a large value, then it is considered a felony and is called a grand theft. A petty theft is stealing an object with small value which would pass as a misdemeanor. If a person has a lost item in possession, and a reasonable method exists for finding the owner, they must return it or it would be considered larceny. For example, if one finds a wallet with an ID in it, it is their duty to find a method to return it to the owner. Shoplifting and attempted shoplifting fall under this category.

Motor vehicle theft

Motor vehicle theft is a common form of property crime, often perpetrated by youths for joyriding. The FBI includes attempted motor vehicle thefts in its Uniform Crime Report (UCR) definition. About 15-20% of motor vehicle thefts are committed for their auto parts or with an intent of re-selling them on the black market. [13] Crime prevention and target-hardening measures, such as car alarms and ignition locks, have been effective deterrents against motor vehicle theft, as have been practices such as etching VINs on car parts. [13]

Only 13% of reported motor vehicle theft cases were cleared in the United States in 2005. [6]

Some car types are more popular with thieves, with sports cars often being preferred by those stealing cars for joyriding. [2] Sport utility vehicles also have higher rates of theft, with the Cadillac Escalade cited in 2003 by the Highway Data Loss Institute as having the most frequent theft claims in the United States. [14]

Construction vehicles are also often stolen, as they can easily be re-sold in the second-hand market. [2]

Robbery

Robbery is the unlawful taking of property from a person's immediate possession through using force of intimidation.

Vandalism

Vandalism is the willful destruction or damage to a person's property. There are millions of damage every year. Some examples include: breaking windows, ripping down mailboxes, throwing eggs, graffiti, etc.

Mailbox baseball

A mailbox (left) that was damaged by a game of mailbox baseball Mailbox baseball.jpg
A mailbox (left) that was damaged by a game of mailbox baseball

Mailbox baseball or mailboxing is an activity in which a baseball bat or other object is used to knock over, dent, or smash roadside mailboxes by a passenger in a car. It can be played either as a game, with score kept in a manner similar to baseball, or played simply for aimless fun. In either case it is an act of vandalism and destruction of other peoples' property.

Mailbox baseball is depicted in several films and television shows, such as Stand by Me , The Benchwarmers , Dazed and Confused , Freaks and Geeks , 21 Jump Street , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 9, episode 7; "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda"), Ghost Whisperer , The Simpsons , Family Guy , and The X-Files .

Damaging, destroying or tampering with mail boxes or with the US mail is a federal crime, punishable by a fine and/or up to three years of imprisonment. [15]

Law

Criminal law is designed to maintain social order and to protect the authority of the state. In capitalist societies, criminal law is also important in protecting personal property and creating a positive environment for economic activity.

In 1473, Carrier's Case in England set a precedent for criminal law in establishing a right for protecting private property. The English court ruled against those who transported merchandise on behalf of others and wrongfully kept that merchandise, stating that it constituted a crime of larceny. The court recognized the importance of protecting property rights, in creating an environment for the English mercantile system to thrive. [16] [17]

In the United States, burglary is considered a felony, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation counts burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson in Uniform Crime Reports statistics. [18]

Juvenile vandalism penalties

Restitution

To pay for the damages for repair or replacement. The judge may direct the offender to find or maintain employment.

Fines

Money paid to the court which can range from hundreds to thousands.

Probation

Must perform specific tasks (school, work, see a counselor etc.).

Diversion

Similar to probation.

Detention

This can be full-time, weekends, or enhanced supervision.

Property crime rates in the United States, 1986-2005 (source: FBI UCR data, which only shows reported crime) Propertycrime-us.svg
Property crime rates in the United States, 1986-2005 (source: FBI UCR data, which only shows reported crime)

In 2004, 12% of households in the United States experienced some type of property crime, with theft being the most common. [19] The percentage of U.S. households that experienced property crime dropped from 21% in 1994 to 12% in 2004. [19] In Finland, a marked decrease in adolescents committing property crimes also occurred from 1995 to 2004. [20]

The United Kingdom similarly experienced large decreases in property crime, with motor vehicle theft and domestic burglary decreasing 24%, and burglaries, thefts from auto, and other thefts decreasing 45% from 1995 to 2004. [21] From 2001 to 2004, New South Wales in Australia experienced a marked decrease in property crimes, with rates of motor vehicle theft declining by 39%, among other declining trends in property crime. [22]

From 1996 to 2005, the number of arrests in the United States for property crime has declined by 22.1%. The decline is far larger for offenders under age 18, with a decrease of 43.8% in property crime arrests, compared to a 9.5% decrease for those 18 and over. [23] The peak age for property crime arrests in the United States is 16, compared to 18 for violent crime arrests. [24]

Theory

Burglary

Situational factors or characteristics of the building environment may make it a more tempting target for offenders. [25] Situational factors can be altered by property owners to make a property less desirable as a target of opportunity for potential offenders. According to rational choice theory, criminals weigh costs/risks and benefits in deciding whether or not to take advantage of a crime opportunity. [26]

The permeability of residential neighborhoods, or accessibility to outside traffic, is another factor. The proximity of residential areas to main arterial roads is similarly a factor, as such roads tend to be most familiar to criminals and people in general. Criminals tend not to venture too far from familiar places. [27]

Burglars who take cash and jewelry tend to travel on foot, selecting targets close to a busy city center, whereas burglars that target electronics often will travel by car, tending to favor targets in suburban areas. [28]

Crime control

Property crime control strategies in most English-speaking democracies take a Bentham approach, with focus on punishment and deterrence. [29] Imprisonment punishment also serves to incapacitate offenders for some period of time from re-offending.

United Kingdom

Repeat victimisation by type of property crime offence in the UK (2012-2013) Repeat victimisation in property crimes.png
Repeat victimisation by type of property crime offence in the UK (2012-2013)

The Visiting Forces Act 1952

The expression "offence against property" is used as a term of art in section 3 of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 (15 & 16 Geo.6 & 1 Eliz.2 c.67) and is defined for that purpose by paragraphs 3 (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) and 4 (Scotland) of the Schedule to that Act

England and Wales and Northern Ireland

In the application of section 3 of the 1952 Act to England and Wales and to Northern Ireland it means any offence punishable under any of the following enactments:

Scotland

In the application of the section 3 of the 1952 Act to Scotland it means any of the following offences:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theft</span> Act of taking anothers property without consent

Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word theft is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as larceny, robbery, embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, or receiving stolen property. In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny, while in others, theft is defined more narrowly. A person who engages in theft is known as a thief.

Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear; that is, it is a larceny or theft accomplished by an assault. Precise definitions of the offence may vary between jurisdictions. Robbery is differentiated from other forms of theft by its inherently violent nature ; whereas many lesser forms of theft are punished as misdemeanors, robbery is always a felony in jurisdictions that distinguish between the two. Under English law, most forms of theft are triable either way, whereas robbery is triable only on indictment. The word "rob" came via French from Late Latin words of Germanic origin, from Common Germanic raub "theft".

Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of England into their own law, where in many cases it remains in force.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to criminal justice:

Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) and housebreaking, is the act of illegally entering a building or other areas without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, larceny, robbery, or murder, but most jurisdictions include others within the ambit of burglary. To commit burglary is to burgle, a term back-formed from the word burglar, or to burglarize.

Embezzlement is a term commonly used for a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trusted individual taking advantage of their position to steal funds or assets, most commonly over a period of time.

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program compiles official data on crime in the United States, published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). UCR is "a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort of nearly 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crimes brought to their attention".

In criminal law, property is obtained by false pretenses when the acquisition results from the intentional misrepresentation of a past or existing fact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacrilege</span> Violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person

Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physical, it is often called desecration. In a more general sense, any transgression against what is seen as the virtue of religion would be a sacrilege, and so is coming near a sacred site without permission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theft Act 1968</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Theft Act 1968 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates a number of offences against property in England and Wales.

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A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of other crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enhanced or exemplary punishments or other sanctions. They are designed to counter criminal recidivism by physical incapacitation via imprisonment.

Civil recovery is the method in some legal systems employed to recover the proceeds of crime, instead of, or in addition to, criminal court proceedings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Incident-Based Reporting System</span> System used by law enforcement agencies in the United States

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is an incident-based reporting system used by law enforcement agencies in the United States for collecting and reporting data on crimes. Local, state and federal agencies generate NIBRS data from their records management systems. Data is collected on every incident and arrest in the Group A offense category. These Group A offenses are 52 offenses grouped in 23 crime categories. Specific facts about these offenses are gathered and reported to NIBRS. In addition to the Group A offenses, 10 Group B offenses are reported with only the arrest information.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking without owner's consent (TWOC), also referred to as unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle (UTMV), describes any unauthorised use of a car or other conveyance that does not constitute theft. A similar offence, known as taking and driving away, exists in Scotland.

Burglary is a statutory offence in England and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Minnesota</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larceny Act 1861</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Larceny Act 1861 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It consolidated provisions related to larceny and similar offences from a number of earlier statutes into a single Act. For the most part these provisions were, according to the draftsman of the Act, incorporated with little or no variation in their phraseology. It is one of a group of Acts sometimes referred to as the Criminal Law Consolidation Acts 1861. It was passed with the object of simplifying the law. It is essentially a revised version of an earlier consolidation Act, the Larceny Act 1827 (7 & 8 Geo. 4. c. 29), incorporating subsequent statutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 California Proposition 47</span> Reduction of some crimes to misdemeanours

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References

  1. ↑ Freiberg, Arie (December 1996). "The Property Crime Market: A Regulatory Approach" (PDF). Burglary and Car Theft: Is Your Property Safe?, Melbourne, Australia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Clarke, Ronald V. (1999). "Hot Products: understanding, anticipating and reducing demand for stolen goods" (PDF). Police Research Series, Paper 112. Home Office, Policing and Reducing Crime Unit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  3. ↑ Douglas, John E., Allen G. Burgess, Robert K. Ressler (2006). Crime Classification Manual. Wiley. pp. 41–42.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Douglas, John E., Allen G. Burgess, Robert K. Ressler (2006). Crime Classification Manual. Wiley. pp. 261–287.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weisel, Deborah Lamm (July 2002). "Burglary in Single Family Houses" (PDF). COPS. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Clearances - Crime in the United States, 2005". FBI. Archived from the original on 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  7. ↑ Sorensen, D. (2004). "Temporal Patterns of Danish Residential Burglary". Justitsministeriet. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  8. ↑ Ratcliffe, Jerry H. (2001). "Policing Urban Burglary" (PDF). Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no 213. Australian Institute of Criminology.
  9. ↑ Boba, Rachel (August 2006). "Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites" (PDF). COPS.
  10. ↑ "Law Enforcement Focuses on Construction Site Theft". Construction Equipment Guide. March 2, 2005.
  11. ↑ "Building frenzy spurs rise in home site theft". FOX11AZ.com. February 6, 2005. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
  12. 1 2 "Distraction Burglary". Home Office. Archived from the original on 2006-11-12. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  13. 1 2 Sutton, Adam (December 1996). "Property crime prevention : the future" (PDF). Burglary and Car Theft: Is Your Property Safe?, Melbourne, Australia.
  14. ↑ "Cadillac Escalade SUV is top theft target & has worst overall insurance theft losses" (PDF). Highway Data Loss Institute. August 21, 2001.
  15. ↑ "18 USC § 1705 - Destruction of letter boxes or mail". Cornell University Law School . Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  16. ↑ Siegel, Larry J. (2003). "Chapter 2". Criminology. Wadsworth.
  17. ↑ Hall, Jerome (1952). Theft, Law and Society (2nd ed.).
  18. ↑ "Property Crime". Crime in the United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  19. 1 2 Klaus, Patsy (April 2006). "National Crime Victimization Survey - Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2006.
  20. ↑ Kivivuori, Janne, Venla Salmi. "Trends of Self-Reported Juvenile Delinquency in Finland, 1995-2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2006-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ "Crime in England and Wales 2004/2005" (PDF). Home Office. July 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-08-11. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  22. ↑ Vancouver Bc Canada has the highest percentage of property crime in North America Moffatt, Steve, Suzanne Poynton (January 2006). "Long-Term Trends in Property and Violent Crime in New South Wales: 1990-2004" (PDF). NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ "Table 32 - Crime in the United States 2005". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  24. ↑ FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2000
  25. ↑ Brantingham, P.J. & P.L. Brantingham (1981). Environmental criminology. Sage Publications.
  26. ↑ Bennett, T., R. Wright (1986). Burglars on Burglary. Gower.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ White, Garland F. (1990). "Neighborhood Permeability and Burglary Rates". Justice Quarterly. 7 (1): 57–67. doi:10.1080/07418829000090471.
  28. ↑ Poyner, B, B. Webb (1991). Crime Free Housing. Butterworth.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ Weatherburn, Don, Peter Grabosky (March 1997). "Strategic Approaches to Property Crime Control" (PDF). Second National Outlook Symposium: Violent Crime, Property Crime and Public Policy, Canberra, Australia.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ↑ Paragraph 3(m), inserted by the Fraud Act 2006, Schedule 1, paragraph 2
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