Schmall crim today8e_ppt_ch12

Criminology TodayAn Integrated Introduction

CHAPTER

Criminology Today: An Integrated Introduction, 8eFrank Schmalleger

Copyright © 2017 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Crimes Against Property

12



Burglary

• UCR definition The unlawful entry of a structure to

commit a felony or theft• Residential burglaries do not involve

direct confrontation but can cause fear with lasting effects.

• Commercial burglaries can affect the continued viability of the business.



The Social Ecology of Burglary

• Lifestyle and routine activities theories emphasize how criminal opportunity is affected by victims' and offenders' everyday activities/environments.

• The structure of social life affects how easy it to carry out one’s inclination to offend.



A Typology of Burglars

• Low-level burglars (mainly juveniles) Work with others, easily deterred,

limited rewards, often desist with age• Middle-range burglars

Older, vacillate between crime and legitimate activities, less easily deterred

continued on next slide



A Typology of Burglars

• High-level burglars Professionals, work in organized crews,

earn a good living from burglary



The 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 Burglars

• Most prevalent rationale for residential burglary is need for fast cash.

• Why offenders choose burglary 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 Burglary

• Commercial burglaries Suitability Retail establishments preferred over

other types (e.g., wholesale or service businesses)



Target Selection for Burglary

• Residential burglaries Key factors include knowledge of

occupants, tips, observation of potential target.

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



The 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 Connection

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

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

• Crime shift consistent with view that property offenders tend to be generalists.



The Sexualized Context of Burglary

• Some burglaries have associated sexual dynamics (fetishists, voyeurists).

• Some sexually motivated homicides begin as burglaries.

• Can be explained from the perspective of opportunity theory

• Home-intrusion rape



Larceny-Theft

• The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another

• Most frequently occurring property crime

• Does not involve force or other means of illegal entry

• A crime of opportunity



Shoplifting and Employee Theft

• Retail theft includes shoplifting and theft 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.• Shoplifting crosses class lines, not

committed primarily by women.



Who Shoplifts?

• Juveniles overrepresented as shoplifters More serious, chronic forms found

among economically disadvantaged• Majority of juveniles admit to shoplifting

at some point in their lifetime.• Maturing out pattern



Flash 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 Theft

• Unauthorized use of another's personal information to commit fraud

• Main categories 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.continued on next slide



Identity Theft

• 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

harm the digital economy.continued on next slide



Identity Theft

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

• 2004 Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act Increased federal prison sentences for

various types of identity theft



The Incidence of Identity Theft

• BJS definition of identity theft includes: 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 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 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 Theft

• Largest percentage of vehicles stolen from parking lot or garage

• Most motor vehicle thefts reported to police

• Motivations include: Joyriding Temporary transportation needs Use in a crime Stripping



Theft 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



Joyriders: 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 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.



Arson

• 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 Setters

• Majority of those involved in arson are juveniles.

• Almost half of all cleared arsons involve a juvenile offender.

• Juveniles overrepresented in both residential and commercial arson



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• Children between 13–18

Have history of fire setting, usually undetected



Persistent and Professional Thieves

• Professional criminal Offender who makes a living from crime,

is recognized by other offenders as a professional, engages in planned and calculated offending

• Persistent thief Offender who continues in common law

property crimes despite no better than an ordinary level of success




Persistent and Professional Thieves

• Offense specialization Preference for a certain type of offense Limited among property offenders

• Cafeteria-style offending Heterogeneous and unplanned nature of

offending among gang members• Occasional offender

Offender whose offending patterns are guided primarily by opportunity



The Criminal Careers of Property Offenders

• Phases of criminal career in property crime Break-in period Stable period Burnout phase



Property Offenders and Rational Choice

• Rationality Activities identified by their impersonal,

methodological, efficient, and logical components

• Burglars employ a "limited, temporal rationality."



Receivers of Stolen Property

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

• Fence is least common method for most thieves to dispose of stolen goods.

• Most common method used by professional burglars



The Role of Criminal Receivers

• Professional receiver Regularly buys stolen goods for resale May be generalist or specialist

• Avocational receiver Part-time, fencing is secondary to but

associated with primary business.• Amateur receiver

Otherwise honest person who buys stolen property on relatively small scale