Week 10 pt.2 : Property crime Flashcards
1
Q
property crime is…
A
- the most common form of criminal activity documented by official crime statistics
- *Ranges from relatively innocent acts to far costlier and sometimes more sophisticated – even professional – activities (e.g. motor-vehicle theft, vandalism, break-and-enter, arson, fraud)
- theft of 5000$ or under is the most common type of property crime
2
Q
Break-and-enter is…
A
- difference between robbery & break-and-enter is the presence, or lack of presence, of a person-to-person confontation
- does not involved face-to-face contact or the threat of force cuz it is undertaken when the resident/property owner is not present
- Victims may face significant financial costs and emotional distress
3
Q
patterns & characteristics in break-and-enters
A
- 2019, 161,000 police-reported cases of B&E (down 30% from 2009)
- Residential break-in happens every 90 seconds in Canada
- most committed by amateur burglars
- 3 categories of B&E… residential, buisness, other non-residential private structures
- less are getting reported to police cuz of… secueity camera, reluctance to make insurance claims, more in cities w/ more crack use
- more in the summer
- Primary underlying causes are social factors such as economic need, substance abuse and addiction
- victims - 6% sleeping problems/depression & 8% sympoms of PTSD
- more ppl going to country to commit these
4
Q
clearance rates & explanations of B&E
A
- Crime clearance rates ( proportion of reported crimes solved by police) are super low (27.3%) than for other major offences
- less likely for victim to know perp
- Principal model used to explain B&E is rational choice theory
- burglars target homes that are… familiar, less visible, aooear unoccupied
5
Q
Fraud is…
A
- the act of using deception, falsehood or cheating for the purpose of material gain/valuable service
- can take many forms
- property related fraud includes… cheque/credit card fraud, breach of trust, false pretense, forgery, mail, identity theft, antivirus scams, telemarket fraud & manipulation of stock exchage/counterfeiting
6
Q
Patterns & characeristics of fraud
A
- declined in canada from 1991-2012
- identity fraud is now a seperate criminal offence
- geographical variations in fraud across country
- women more liley to be involved than other violent crimes
- fraud evolves with the times (e.g. dating websites & grandparent scams)
7
Q
who commits fraud?
A
- forgers tend to commit the offence out of economic need
- tend to not be involved in other forms of property crime
- older than most property offenders
- increasingly attributed to organized crime
- not youth
8
Q
Theft…
A
- refers to the unlawful taking property from the possession of another
- does not involve the use or the threat of force or overt
9
Q
Patterns & characteristics of theft
A
- evolutive & relative
- theft over vs under 5000$
- 34% decline in the rate of theft over incidents reported to the police
- theft of bikes, phones, laptops & other portable decives has increased cuz of availability, limited surveillenve & difficulty in relocation
- Shoplifting is the most common kind of theft because of its negligible risk of detection
- One of the crimes with the smallest gender gap
- Given the prevalence, the current sentencing dispositions are not having a deterrent effect on offenders, esp in young offenders
10
Q
Motor vehicle crime…
A
- *broad range of offences involving a car, truck, or SUV, including theft of a vehicle but also theft from a vehicle and criminal damage to a vehicle
- defined as the unauthorized use of a motorized vehicle for the purpose of joyriding, short- or long-term transportation, profit and/or the commission of another crime
- includes theft, carjacking, joyriding & vandalism
- attractive targets for restless adolescents and big-time organized crime groups
11
Q
In 2010 the government introduced 4 new Criminal Code offences to control vehicle theft…
A
- motor vehicle theft
- altering, removing or obliterating a vehicle identification number
- trafficking in property obtained by crime
- possession of proerty obtained by crime for trafficking
12
Q
*Explaining motor-vehicle crime
A
- joy riding (recreation)= short term theft, young ppl
- profit-motivated = orgnized crime, specialize in stealing/modifying cars for profit
- short term transportation
- long term transportation
13
Q
Patterns & characteristics of motor vehicle crime
A
- 2020 motor vehicle theft more common than theft over 5000$
- decline of motor thefts in 2013 attributed to… mechanical devices in card nowadays
- motor vehicle crimes had decreased, but like other types of crime they are on the upswing since 2013
14
Q
Arson is…
A
- *a form of vandalism involving destruction of one’s own or another’s property through use of fire or explosion
- far less common than theft/other types of property & economic crime
15
Q
patterns in arson
A
- Between 2001 and 2014, arson attacks dropped by 48%
- Since 2013, rates have remained stable.
- Over 80% male & median age is 19 for men and 33 for women
- Despite its overall relative infrequency, the damage caused by intentional fire-setting can be enormous
- organized crime groups & political terrorists are known to also use arson
- Environmental and ecological theories can explain arson patterns (age of housing & routine activity theory)
