Theft (Chapter 812, F.S.)

• People commit property crimes to interfere with or obtain money, property, or other benefit from a victim
• The primary result of a property crime is to deprive someone of their property
• The secondary result of a property crime can involve physical or mental harm to the victim

Theft

• Chapter 812, F.S., outlines the elements of theft
• Theft occurs when a person: knowingly obtains or uses, or tries to obtain or use, the property of another
• Theft occurs when a person: commits such actions with the intent to, either temporarily or permanently, deprive the victim of their right to the property or any benefit from it
• Theft occurs when a person: takes the property for their own use or to the use of anyone not entitled to it
• Robbery is a crime against a person because it involves some sort of taking directly from another individual
• Theft (and burglary) are property crimes, and lack this direct person-to-person element
• Property can be anything of value and includes real property, tangible or intangible property, personal property, and services, including repairs or professional services
• Even though the victim of a theft may not be present at the time, they often provide helpful information to the investigation
• This information may include: a description of the stolen property, including unique characteristics or serial numbers, the value of the item, and the last time and place they saw the item
• $100 or more, but less than $750, the offense is a first-degree misdemeanor of petit theft
• If the person who commits petit theft has two or more convictions for any theft, it becomes a third-degree felony
• Theft of property valued at less than $100, or if the value of the property cannot be established, is a second-degree misdemeanor
• Grand theft involves the theft of an item with a value of $750 or more
• Grand theft also involves the theft of an item specified by statute regardless of its value
• Grand theft also involves the theft of an item with a value of $100 or more from a dwelling or from the enclosed area of land surrounding a dwelling
• Grand theft can be a felony of first, second, or third degree
• Theft also includes identity theft and fraud
• Florida law reclassifies theft to a higher degree if the victim is a person 65 or older
• Contact the complainant, store manager, or loss prevention officer (LPO) upon arrival
• Obtain a verbal statement to determine if a crime has been committed
• Ask if there is any video of the incident and if the suspect is still on the scene
• Identify any other witnesses and review surveillance videos
• If the suspect is on the scene, and you determine that a crime has been committed, obtain a suspect statement before making the arrest
• Avoid principles of procedural injustice when interacting with the suspect
• Try to obtain official witness statements and photograph the items before returning any stolen property
• Obtain a receipt or itemized list of items stolen to document their value
• Notify your supervisor if you are making an arrest or if you need more resources, such as a crime scene unit or EMS
• Call for backup if the suspect becomes belligerent or violent, or if there are multiple suspects related to theft rings
• If a detective responds, brief them on the incident and contact dispatch to initiate a BOLO if the suspect flees the scene
• A backup officer may assist with recovering and photographing evidence and obtaining an itemized list of stolen property

Retail theft

• A business can also be a victim of theft through shoplifting, embezzlement, skimming from cash registers or petty cash, smash-and-grab attacks, hijacking of delivery trucks or their cargo, quick-change artists, or theft of agriculture, services, or construction site materials
• You can arrest someone for retail theft without a warrant even when the offense is not committed in your presence
• Retail theft involves someone working alone or conspiring with others to take merchandise, money, or negotiable financial or legal documents
• Retail theft also encompasses altering or removing a label or price tag
• Retail theft also includes transferring merchandise from one container to another, or removing a shopping cart with the intent to deprive the merchant of their full retail value
• It is a felony to possess, use, or attempt to use an anti-shoplifting or inventory control device counter measure to defeat the security scanner
• The operator of the facility or a law enforcement officer with probable cause can take the suspect into custody in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable amount of time for recovering the value of the property, or for prosecution

Motor vehicle theft

• Ask the victim to describe the vehicle, to show you where they parked the car, and if they have their car key
• Determine if a family member may have a key or may have taken the vehicle
• Look for broken glass where the car was parked or for drag marks that indicate a vehicle may have been towed
• Call dispatch to find out if the vehicle was towed for repossession and if the vehicle was parked outside a business and not listed in a tow log, ask to view the exterior surveillance videos
• If you conclude that the vehicle was stolen, determine its proper ownership, and query DAVID to obtain vehicle information
• Activate any tracking devices that the vehicle may have and contact dispatch to initiate a BOLO
• Give dispatch the license plate number, a description of the vehicle, including any dents or special identifiers, and the VIN to enter into FCIC/NCIC

Recovery of a Stolen Vehicle

• Stolen vehicles may have broken side and vent windows, a poorly attached license plate, or scratched door locks
• There may be a punched-out hole below the door lock, a punched-out ignition, or a damaged steering column
• If you recover a stolen vehicle, notify dispatch so that they can report the recovery to FCIC/NCIC, as well as to the vehicle owner
• If you suspect that a vehicle is stolen, verify the vehicle by the VIN, license plate number, engine number, hidden number or component part numbers, or other identifying characteristics
• The VIN plate on most domestic and foreign cars is on the driver's side dashboard, seen through the windshield, or on the driver's side doorjamb

Stolen property incident

• When responding to dealing or trafficking in stolen property, document that the suspect trafficked in or tried to traffic in property that the suspect knew or should have known was stolen
• If the sale price for property is substantially below fair market value, the property may be stolen
• Dealing in stolen property is a first- or second-degree felony
• Victims who locate their stolen property in a pawnshop are instructed to put a hold on the item or seize it as evidence
• Information about the suspect should be gathered from store personnel
• People dealing in stolen property sometimes do so under false names
• Pawnshops require a thumbprint on the transaction sheet, which you can collect as evidence
• Video evidence of the store can be collected, and a detective will likely conduct a follow-up investigation

Dealing in stolen property

• Metals, electronics, jewelry, and firearms are commonly trafficked Stolen items
• When a person sells, transfers, distributes, or otherwise disposes of stolen property knowing or having reason to know that the property is in fact stolen, they commit the crime of dealing in stolen property
• If you have probable cause to believe that a suspect stole an item and the suspect resists reasonable efforts to recover the property, charge the suspect with resisting in addition to theft

Criminal Mischief

• Criminal mischief is the willful and malicious destruction of property belonging to another
• As outlined in chapter 806, F.S., it can include injury or damage to property, such as graffiti and other acts of vandalism
• To document criminal mischief, verify that the suspect injured or damaged real or personal property
• Also verify that the property belonged to the complainant and that the injury or damage was willful and malicious

Statutory enhancements for criminal mischief

• Criminal mischief is a second-degree misdemeanor if the property damage is less than $200
• It is a first-degree misdemeanor if the damage is greater than $200 but less than $1,000
• The crime is a third-degree felony if the value of property damaged totals $1,000 or more
• If the suspect has one or more prior convictions for criminal mischief, a subsequent offense is a felony, regardless of the amount of damage
• Any person who willfully and maliciously damages any place of worship or religious article is guilty of a third-degree felony if the damage is over $200

Trespassing

• As outlined in chapter 810, F.S., occurs when a person: willfully enters or remains in a structure, conveyance, or property, without being authorized, licensed, or invited
• As outlined in chapter 810, F.S., occurs when a person: willfully enters or remains in a property after the owner tells them to leave or when a trespassing notice is posted
• As outlined in chapter 810, F.S., occurs when a person: having been authorized, licensed, or invited, a person is warned by the owner or lessee of the premises, or by a person authorized by the owner, to depart and the person refuses to do so
• In trespassing, a person authorized means an owner or lessee, or their agent, or any law enforcement officer whose agency has received written authorization from the owner, lessee, or their agent, to communicate an order to depart the property in the case of a threat to public safety or welfare
• Trespassing offenses are misdemeanors when a notice against entering or remaining is communicated or posted and a person disregards it
• Also, a person who enters and remains on a property and intends to commit another offense has committed misdemeanor trespassing
• Also, someone who stays on the premises after law enforcement gave them a warning has committed misdemeanor trespassing
• A transient person living in a residential property refuses to leave after law enforcement directed them to, even if the officer has sworn affidavit from the property's owner has committed a misdemeanor
• Someone who is not authorized, licensed or invited to enter or stay on a school campus has committed a misdemeanor
• A student who is suspended or expelled who enters or stays on a school campus or any other campus the school owns has committed a misdemeanor
• Someone is on a school campus without legitimate business to be there has committed a misdemeanor
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on a designated, posted commercial horticulture property
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on a designated, posted agriculture site for testing and research
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on a designated, posted agricultural manufacturing facility
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on school property while in possession of a firearm or weapon
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on a designated, posted domestic violence shelter
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when launching a projectile (using a firearm, bow, or crossbow) across someone else's land with the intent of taking or killing an animal
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when entering and remaining on a designated, posted construction site
• Trespassing offenses are felonies when trespassing on a legally posted operational area of an airport with the intent to injure a person, damage property, or impede operations
• Interview the complainant, property owner, person authorized to act on behalf of the owner, witnesses, and the suspect

Burglary

• Burglary is the unlawful entry into any structure with the intent to commit a crime inside
• Chapter 810, F.S., outlines the elements of burglary and classifies burglaries according to the type of location entered, such as a dwelling, structure, or conveyance
• Penalties are more severe for a dwelling than for other structures or conveyances
• To document burglary, verify that the suspect entered a structure or conveyance owned by or was in the possession of the complainant
• Further, the suspect must have had the intent to commit a crime in the structure or conveyance at the time of the entering, and was not licensed or invited to enter the structure or conveyance, where the premises were not open to the public at the time of the entering
• Trespassing involves being somewhere you do not own without the owner's permission
• Burglary also involves being somewhere you do not own without the owner's permission, but with the intention to commit another crime, such as theft
• Robbery involves taking property from someone by force or fear
• People will often tell you that they have been robbed when they were not at home; however, they have been burglarized
• Generally, any damage caused as the result of an unlawful entry, such as kicking in a door or breaking a window, is not criminal mischief, as that is a lesser offense
• However, when the suspect clearly and intentionally vandalizes the home during a burglary, an additional charge of criminal mischief can apply
• The Florida Statutes enhance the penalties for burglary when the suspect commits assault or battery during a burglary, or the suspect is armed
• The Florida Statutes enhance the penalties for burglary when the suspect uses a vehicle to cause damage to the property, or the suspect causes more than $1,000 of damage to the property
• The Florida Statutes enhance the penalties for burglary when the dwelling, structure, or conveyance was occupied at the time of the burglary
• Burglary tools may include screwdrivers, pliers and wrenches, pry bars, or spark plugs but can also be anything used to gain entry during a burglary, such as a rock or concrete block
• Burglars may use methods of entry such as entering through unlocked doors and windows or using a hidden key, removing hinge pins, breaking glass, or kicking in the door
• Other techniques include prying door or window frame, slipping, pulling, or picking the lock, or using a bump key
• A bump key is one in which the suspect has cut the pin positions to the lowest level so that striking it at just the right moment will "bump" open the lock
• Burglars may also use a garage door opener or electronic coder for keyless entries
• For possession of burglary tools, document that the suspect intended to commit burglary or trespass, and had in their possession a tool that they intended to use in committing a burglary
• Burglary is one of the crimes that you will investigate most frequently
• When you arrive at the scene of a burglary, determine if it is in progress or delayed
• If the burglary is in progress, notify your supervisor, call for backup, set a perimeter, and request additional resources
• If the burglary is not in progress, obtain a statement from the victim
• Call for backup if indicated in your agency's policies and procedures, and conduct a walk-through with the victim
• Tell the victim how important it is to preserve any evidence and secure the crime scene
• If video footage of the incident provides a description of a suspect and the burglary occurred recently, immediately contact dispatch to initiate a BOLO
• Establish the time frame for the incident, ask the victim when they left the building and when they returned
• Determine the entry and exit points the burglar used, and note any disturbed areas and possible evidence for processing
• Obtain detailed information from the victim, such as the description and value of any items taken, as well as serial numbers and owner-applied numbers

Archaeological Sites

• Chapter 267, F.S., outlines the elements of prohibited practices on archaeological sites
• Secure and protect the scene, notify a supervisor, and inform park rangers of the incident and any recovered evidence

White Collar Crimes

Fraud

• Fraud is the intentional falsification of the truth to induce another person or other entity to part with something of value or to surrender their legal right to it
• Current forms of fraud can include credit card fraud, bank fraud, cashing a fraudulent check, and identity theft
• Officers will often respond to a delayed cardholder fraud to file an incident report. Occasionally, officers respond to an in-progress incident of a fraudulent check, fraudulent use of credit/gift card
• The expression white-collar crime refers to a range of frauds committed by individuals, business professionals, and government officials
• These crimes do not involve a threat of physical force or violence but rather dishonesty, cover-up, or abuse of trust

Forgery and Uttering

• Two aspects: forgery and uttering a false instrument
• Forgery is altering, forging or counterfeiting a public record, certificate, legal document, bill of exchange or promissory note, with intent to injure or defraud someone
• Uttering is knowingly exhibiting or publishing a document or attempting to cash a check by claiming the check and the endorsement are real
• Uttering a false, forged, or altered record, deed, or other instrument with the intent to injure or defraud is a third-degree felony under law
• Most common types of forgery are forged signatures or endorsements on a check, use of fictitious name and forgery by altering the signature per chapter 831, F.S

Fraudulent check

• Respond to a Fraudulent Check incident
• The primary complainant for in-progress fraudulent check incidents is the financial institution, victim is the person from whom the funds were drawn
• Before or right after arriving, ask if the suspect is on the scene and obtain subject and vehicle descriptions, as they may pass you exiting the bank/business, call for back up if suspect present
• If the suspect is not on the scene, collect the altered financial or legal document that was uttered and process it as evidence
• Photograph the front and back of the document for your incident report, interview witnesses and obtain a statement
• Ask for a copy of the surveillance video and view immediately if possible, to identify a suspect, and contact dispatch to initiate a BOLO
• Follow your agency's procedures regarding requests for detectives, ask the complainant if they want to prosecute the suspect when identified
• You may take the initial complaint for these, but an economic crime investigator typically investigates fraud

Credit Card Fraud

• The elements of fraudulent use of a credit card are outlined in chapter 817, F.S
• Credit card fraud is the unlawful use of a credit card to obtain property, goods or services
• This includes unlawful or unauthorized use of information to obtain credit by using false, fictitious, revoked or expired, or using any credit card without the owner's authority
• Suspects will fraudulently obtain and use debit/credit through falsified applications, burglary, theft or robbery and can solicit credit card numbers
• Skimming is the act of extracting a customer's credit card information by using a skimming device
• Felony if a suspect fraudulently uses the victim's credit card in a six-month period, three times, or charges over $100 on the victim's card
• Ask the complainant if they are in possession of the card and document in your report with the card and expiration date/ report crime has occurred
• Even if purchases were made out of state, file incident report with case number to submit to their institution
• Ask if they want to prosecute and document, contact institution/ credit bureau to put a hold/notify of fraud
• Agencies have materials on preventing becoming a future victim

Telephone Scams

• Some callers misrepresent a bank, government agency, or relative and threaten arrest on the victim if they refuse to bay a fictitious debt/bailing someone out of jail
• When responding to digital communications, be aware that the true location and identity of the user can be hidden
• Using internet-based applications can allow the creation of a random phone number, regardless of location. This is exemplified by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• There are different ways for this to happen

Phishing

• Phishing uses fake digital media that mirrors a legitimate business to obtain personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims
• Suspects utilize this information to steal identities/ accounts, or credit availability

Identity Theft

• The unlawful possession or use of a person's identifying information to commit acts of fraud (credit/loans)
• Also includes acquiring services/establishing or taking over accounts, and commit crimes
• If the victim says, file an incident and help them move forward
• It is a state crime, contact detective division if you have jurisdiction in your district

Animal cruelty

• Signs of animal abuse can include starvation, parasites, mange, a collar that is too tight or heavy, lack of medical attention and adequate shelter
• Animal abuse can also include living conditions that contain feces excess, garbage, broken glass, and lack of space for the animal to move
• Document what type of misdemeanor that the suspect committed to animals per 828, F.S.
• After something has occurred get information from the witness', call animal control to help
• If the animal is abandoned, animal control should remove, or animal control should remove them too
• Request assistance to determine animal cruelty, follow policies for removal

Loitering or Prowling

• Standing or waiting around idly not a act, can linger if people are alarmed in the area
• The public, law enforcement is notified
• Give people the chance by an encounter to be on the good side by explaining and being transparent
• If you are going to charge, have the totality of the circumstance
• Give a warning to conduct
• Poses danger to other people because of the issues with the incidents
• Backup is important due to what has happened, safety check is there

Breach of the Peace, Disorderly Conduct

• A person who simply curses is not bad, but there needs to be other factors to threaten security
• Public actions like public place/transportation/ can cause a public disturbance with safety
• If you are on duity, you cannot be a victim
• There are different ways for this section to cause an issue

Disorderly Intoxication

• Intoxication is more than being under a substance as a person that is the case, under 856, F.S, intoxication. The person can endanger someone to be the case

Intoxication

Open House party

• 856, F.S. can happen if the suspect is over 18 years old and has had control over the incident like an open house

Controlled Substance

• From illicit sources, or legitimate sources, the united states has many drugs that is the case
• Private ways or USPS is used, and can be kids toys too
• Are not necessary but misue are coming more to common in FL Medical majaurianna has a DUI that can cause the other substances to impair you

Chapter 893, F.S. is a medicinal way to show a schedule whether good or bad for these instances

Possession is what you want the person to charge for

Cannabis is less than 25 pounds and 300 ounces Cocaine needs over 28 grams

Hydrocondane is excess of 28 grams Meth is over 14 grams Mdama is over 10 grams

• Oxycodone is over 7 grams and acid is over 1 gram

All equipment used and needs that the individual has to has it is drug paraphernalia

Back up needed to interview and gather facts and see about search and look for contraband, tests used, PPE is used during these instances Vice Crimes

Vice Crimes

• To affect someone in a negative way, like alcohol and substance
• Underage needs supervision and or more help
• Gambling is from an incident
• 849, F.s Outlines what the situation is when someone is playing in a non legal way
• If someone is trafficking from a minor, contact DCF, not over 18
• If a organized crime operation is has: has a structure, is usually hierarchical or paramilitary
• Has both criminal/legitimate businesses, it provides a product in a market and rarely shares crime areas
• The loss of income will affect the area. Also the higher up officials are going to be insulated with their profit