copyright © 2015 by pearson education, inc. all rights reserved criminology today, 7th edition...

Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger

Introduction to CriminologyCRJ 270

Instructor: Jorge Pierrott



Criminology TodayCriminology TodayAN INTEGRATIVE INTRODUCTIONAN INTEGRATIVE INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER

SEVENTH EDITION

Crimes Against Property

11



Chapter ObjectivesChapter ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, students should be able to answer the following questions:•What are the major forms of property crime discussed in this chapter?•What constitutes the crime of burglary? What are some of its characteristics?•What constitutes the crime of larceny-theft? What forms does it take?•What is motor vehicle theft? How prevalent is it?•What constitutes the crime of arson?•What are some characteristics of persistent and professional thieves?•What are the typical activities of receivers of stolen property, and how are stolen goods distributed?



Stolen Art BusinessStolen Art Business

http://www.fbi.gov/news/videos?selected=2f369b14-7c40-4346-b6c0-7f6fb9a44534



BurglaryBurglary

• Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) /FBI definition The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft Nevada definition – entry into a structure to commit a grand

or petit larceny, assault or battery on any person or any felony, or to obtain money or property by false pretenses

• Residential burglaries do not involve direct confrontation between victim and offender but can cause fear with lasting effects

• Commercial burglaries can affect the continued viability of the business



The Social Ecology of BurglaryThe Social Ecology of Burglary

• Lifestyle and routine activities theories emphasize how criminal opportunity is affected by victims' and offenders' everyday activities/environments Structure of social life affects ease/difficulty of

carrying out inclination to offend Three ingredients are necessary:

• Motivated offender• Suitable target and • Lack of a capable guardian

• Highest risk are those with the highest and lowest incomes.



A Typology of BurglarsA Typology of Burglars

• Low-level burglars Spur of the moment crimes Mainly juveniles, work with others, easily

deterred by locks, alarms, security devices

Rewards not significant, many desist as get older

continued on next slide



A Typology of BurglarsA Typology of Burglars

• Middle-range burglars Older, vacillate between crime and

legitimate activities Less easily deterred

• High-level burglars Professionals, work in organized crews Earn a good living from burglary



The Locales and Times of BurglaryThe Locales and Times of Burglary

• Nighttime residential and daytime commercial burglary are considered the most serious

• Burglary is a “cold crime” because there usually is little physical evidence to link the offender to the crime



The Motivation of BurglarsThe Motivation of Burglars

• The most prevalent rationale is the need for fast cash

• Selection of burglary as the “crime of choice” Burglary is familiar, the “main line” It is less risky than other offenses The offender may not own the

necessary equipment for robbery



Target Selection for BurglaryTarget Selection for Burglary

• Commercial burglaries Suitability Retail establishments preferred




Target Selection for BurglaryTarget Selection for Burglary

• Residential burglaries Key factors include knowledge of

occupants, tips, observation of potential target

Other influential factors include signs of occupancy, security devices, dogs, access to area



The Costs of BurglaryThe Costs of Burglary

• Most household burglaries involve economic loss Stolen property/money Time lost from work

• Property crimes like burglary have a greater effect on the decision to move than violent crimes



The Burglary-Drug ConnectionThe Burglary-Drug Connection

• Increased demand for crack cocaine in the 1980s affected crime rates Burglary rates decreased Robbery rates increased

• Crack trade created preference for cash-intensive crimes (robbery) over burglary




The Burglary-Drug ConnectionThe Burglary-Drug Connection

• Shift in crimes consistent with the view that property offenders tend to be generalists



The Sexualized Context of BurglarThe Sexualized Context of Burglar

• Some burglaries have associated sexual dynamics key types include fetishists and

voyeurists

• Some sexually motivated homicides begin as burglaries

• Can be explained from the perspective of opportunity theory

• Home-intrusion rape



Professional BurglarProfessional Burglar

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/confessions-burglar-19106837



Larceny-TheftLarceny-Theft

• UCR definition the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding

away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another

• Most frequently occurring property offense. This includes stolen motor vehicles, followed

by shoplifting and thefts from a building FBI estimated that 6.2 million larceny thefts

occurred in 2012 for an estimated 68.5%




Larceny-TheftLarceny-Theft

• Does not involve force or other means of illegal entry

• Generally less frightening than burglary• A crime of opportunity



Shoplifting and Employee TheftShoplifting and Employee Theft

• Some retail theft is shoplifting, some committed by store employees Most are short-term workers Internal theft more serious than loss due

to shoplifting

• Technology is one of the best ways to address both types of theft

• Crosses class lines, not committed primarily be women



Who Shoplifts?Who Shoplifts?

• Juveniles overrepresented as shoplifters More common in lower-income youths

• Majority of juveniles admit to shoplifting at some point in their lifetime

• Maturing out pattern?

Caroline Giuliani



Flash Mobs and LarcenyFlash Mobs and Larceny

• Flash mobs Purposeful crowds brought together at a

moment's notice through use of social media web sites

• Some involve organized criminal activity

• Larcenies committed by flash mobs are considered multiple-offender crimes



Identity TheftIdentity Theft

• The misuse of another's personal information to commit fraud

• Main types Existing account fraud

• thieves obtain information on open accounts

New account fraud• thieves use personal information to open

new accounts in the victim's name





• Costs of identity theft Direct losses to victims Indirect costs to businesses for fraud

prevention and harm mitigation Indirect costs to victims – civil litigation,

obstacles in obtaining or retaining credit Consumers' fears of victimization can

also harm the digital economy





• 1998 Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act made identity theft a federal crime

• 2004 Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act



The Incidence of Identity TheftThe Incidence of Identity Theft

• BJS definition of identity theft Unauthorized use/attempted use of

existing credit cards Unauthorized use/attempted use of

other existing accounts Misuse of personal information to obtain

new accounts or loans, or to commit other crimes



Identity Thieves: Who They AreIdentity Thieves: Who They Are

• Hard to classify identity thieves• Often have no prior criminal

background, sometimes have preexisting relationship with victim

• Increased involvement of foreign organized criminal groups in computer- or Internet-related schemes



Motor Vehicle TheftMotor Vehicle Theft

• UCR definition The theft or attempted theft of a motor

vehicle

• Automobiles are the most commonly-stolen type of vehicle

• Car theft violates victim beyond financial loss




Motor Vehicle TheftMotor Vehicle Theft

• Largest percentage of vehicles stolen from parking lot or garage

• Most motor vehicle thefts reported to police



Theft of Car PartsTheft of Car Parts

• Motivations Car parts may be worth a lot Can be sold easily Harder to identify than entire cars

• 1984 Motor Vehicle Theft Law Enforcement Act called for marking of cars' major sheet metal parts with VINs



JoyridersJoyriders

• Car theft for fun Opportunistic car theft committed for

fun or thrills, usually by groups of teens

• Expressive act with little or no extrinsic value

• Most vehicles stolen by joyriders are recovered, usually found abandoned, often after having been crashed



Professional Car TheftProfessional Car Theft

• Less common as thefts for other uses• Professional auto thieves work in

groups characterized by planning and calculation in target selection

• Professional thefts have lowest recover rates



ArsonArson

• UCR definition The willful or malicious burning or

attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, of a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

• Majority of arrestees white males• Motives vary from profit to thrill seeking



Fire SettersFire Setters

• Majority of those involved in arson are juveniles

• General groups of juvenile fire setters Children under 7

• start fires accidentally or out of curiosity Children between 8-12

• fire setting represents underlying psychosocial conflict




Fire SettersFire Setters

• General groups of juvenile fire setters Children between 13-18

• have history of fire setting, usually undetected

http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/shickshinny-firefighter-arrested-for-arson/34800/0ZKfRfPT_EW9FlldSPhv7w



Persistent and Professional Persistent and Professional ThievesThieves

• Professional criminal a criminal offender who makes a living

from criminal pursuits, is recognized by other offenders as a professional, and engages in offending that is planned and calculated





• Persistent thief one who continues in common law

property crimes despite no better than an ordinary level of success





• Offense specialization a preference for engaging in a certain

type of offense to the exclusion of others

• Cafeteria-style offending the heterogeneous and unplanned

nature of offending among gang members





• Occasional offender a criminal offender whose offending

patterns are guided primarily by opportunity



The Criminal Careers of Property The Criminal Careers of Property OffendersOffenders

• Criminal career Criminal behavior that is an integrated,

dynamic structure of sequential unlawful acts that advances within a wider context of causal and correlative influences…




The Criminal Careers of Property The Criminal Careers of Property OffendersOffenders

• Phases of criminal career in property crime Break-in period – early years of an offender’s

career 10-12 years old Stable period – highest commitment. Most

identifies with the criminal lifestyle. Period where rehabilitative efforts are more likely to fail.

Burnout phase – 40 years of age, where the criminal begin to drop out of the lifestyle.



Property Offenders and Rational Property Offenders and Rational ChoiceChoice

• Rationality activities identified by their impersonal,

methodological, efficient, and logical components (rational choice)

• Burglars employ a “limited, temporal rationality”



Receivers of Stolen PropertyReceivers of Stolen Property

• Basic elements Buying and receiving Stolen property Knowing it to be stolen

• Fence is least common method of disposing of stolen goods for most thieves most common method used by

professional burglars



The Role of Criminal ReceiversThe Role of Criminal Receivers

• Professional receiver Purchase stolen goods on regular basis

for resale May be generalist or specialist

• Avocational receiver buys stolen property part-time,

secondary to but associated with primary business activity




The Role of Criminal ReceiversThe Role of Criminal Receivers

• Amateur receiver otherwise honest people who buy stolen

property on relatively small scale

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