The Extent and Petterning of Property Crime
Both UCR and NCVS report data on property crime
What does the FBI's Uniform Crime Report include in property crime?
Burglary, Larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson
Larceny Theft
UCR Definition: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession, of another.
What is to the most frequently occurring property offense according to the FBI and date from NCVS?
Larceny
How many thefts occurred according to the FBI in 2010? (larceny)
6.2 Million larceny thefts nationwide
Larceny accounted for ____ of all property crime
Larceny accounted for 66.7% of all property crime
What did the FBI report in 2010 when it came to estimated cost of lost property?
Average annual cost to victims - estimated $6.1 billion in lost property
Types of theft that do not use force or other means of illegal entry?
Shoplifting, employee theft, thefts from motor vehicles, bicycle thefts, pocket picking, purse snatching
Retail Theft - what is the estimated annual cost of this for retailers?
$33.6 billion
Retail Theft is caused by who?
Shoplifters and employees
What is one of the best ways to address shoplifting and employee theft?
Technology-Tracking merchandise and helping identify employees who are committing theft
Who shoplifts?
self report techniques had shown that 2/3 had shoplifted at some point in their life.
Youth - lower middle class
relationship between low and upper class in the likelihood of shoplifting is stronger in adulhood
Flash Mobs/Larceny
Flashmobs are crowds of people brought together through social media
What percentage of retailers claim to be victimized because of flash mobs?
%10
What is the best way to catch offenders?
Video Recordings
Identity Theft
Misues of another individuals personal information to commit fraud
What does identity theft involve?
obtaining credit card information, merchandise, or services by fraudulent personal representation
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) How many homes have experienced identity theft?
8.6 million households
What is the most common type of identity theft?
Unauthorized use of credit cards
How many households have experienced credit card theft?
5.5 Million
What can hurt the digital economy?
the fear of a consumer being a victim of identity theft
Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (1998)
First federal law to make identity theft a crime
Identity theft penalty enhancement act (2004)
aded 2 years to federal prison sentences for those convicted of using stolden credit card numbers/other personal data to commit crimes
Who are the identity thieves?
often have no prior criminal background
may have preexisting relationships with victims
What is Burglary?
unlawful entry into a structure for the purpose of felony commission, generally a thief
what do burglaries usually involve?
forcible entry although by definition do not involve confrontation between victim and perpetrator
How many burglaries were estimated in 2010?
2.2 million
What was the estimated loss in property value caused by burglaries?
4.6 billion
What is the percentage of houses burglarized at least once?
72%
What percentage of homes are burglarized during the day?
52%
Residential Burglary
houses in the highest income and lowest income have the highest victimization rate in burglaries.
items of high value and easier access
What drives people to move away?
Burglary
Motor Vehicle Theft
theft of attempted theft of a motor vehicle
Motor vehicles refer to...
automobiles, motorcycles and snowmobiles
where are cars mostly taken from?
garages or parking lots
what percent of vehicles are recovered ?
56% of the 81% are recovered (recovered varies in definition, some cars that are recovered may be totaled)
Why are cars usually stolen?
car parts to be sold in illegal market
Joyriders
temporarily use cars for a rush or escaping identification after criminal act.
usually because of unlocked cars with keys in ignition
arson
any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn a public dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle, aircraft, or personal property of another
Arson - FBI stats
Arson is not recorded if suspicious or of unknown origin
what percent of juveniles are involved in arson
34%
what percent of whites are involved in arson?
75%
what percent of arsonists are male?
83%
motivation for arson
ranges from money to thrill
Less than 7...
starts fire out of curiosity
8-10...
curiosity of fire or psychosocial conflicts
13-18...
starts fire because they have a a history of fire setting
Target Selections - Retail
4 times more likely to victimized as are other types of establishments
What are most offenders reluctant to do?
victimize an establishment
most burglaries are not on spur of the moment
what are good deterrents for burglaries
dogs and alarms
What are motivations for burglaries?
fast cash
What connections do burglars have?
drug
Fence
an individual or group involved in buying selling and distributing stolen items