Chapter 12 Property Crimes PDF

Chapter 12 Property Crimes Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 1  Property Crimes  Designed to bring financial reward to the offender Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 2  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTvHpdzRJM  You Tube: “Cou...

Chapter 12 Property Crimes Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 1  Property Crimes  Designed to bring financial reward to the offender Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 2  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTvHpdzRJM  You Tube: “Counterfeit crackdown: Testing Walmart, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Wish (Marketplace)”  20:57 minutes Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 3  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2QZT89aRCs  You Tube: “Busting phone scammers: Police raids shine light on overseas call centres (Marketplace)”  22:30 minutes Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 4  Contemporary Thieves  Occasional criminals – do not define themselves as criminals; not committed to a criminal career Most thefts are committed by amateurs (make a spontaneous decision to steal, acts are unskilled and haphazard) Many committed by school-age youths  Millions of thefts occur each year, most not reported Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 5  Contemporary Thieves  Occasional crimes happen if there is a sufficient situational inducement (short-term influence on a person’s behaviour that increase risk taking) These inducements can be psychological factors or social factors  Occasional criminals may deny their criminality, view their acts as “out of character” May be most likely to respond to law’s general deterrent effect Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 6  Contemporary Thieves  Crime is not their occupation – decision to steal is spontaneous – opportunistic – rationalize acts  Unskilled and unplanned  Occur in winter (near holidays) and summer Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 7  Contemporary Thieves  Professional criminals: Fairly few thieves fall into this category Make large portion of income from crime Do not rationalize to excuse their crime Pursue criminal acts with vigour Acts tend to be non-violent; use high skill to increase reward and decrease risk of being caught Typical acts: B&E, shoplifting, forgery Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 8 Professional criminals:  Steal from banks, stores, offices  Pickpocket  Steal from hotel rooms  Shoplifters  Jewel thief (substitutes fake gems for real ones)  B&Es  Forgery  Counterfeiting  Extortion (abuse of one's authority)  Swindling (to cheat and obtain by deceit or fraud) Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 9  Theft  Theft – one of earliest crimes to be defined by English judges Common law definition: “the trespassory taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with intent to steal” Usually includes shoplifting, passing bad cheques, other theft offences that do not involve force or threats Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 10 Theft  Two categories of theft in Criminal Code: 1)Theft under $5000 Treated as a hybrid offence Crown can proceed as either a summary offence (6 months jail or $2000 fine) or indictable offence (max. 2 years jail) 2)Theft over $5000 Indictable offence Max. sentence 10 years imprisonment Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 11  Theft  Many different types of theft May involve small items, each of little value (likely to go unreported) May involve complex plans for the theft, involving many people Sale of pirated decoder chips, leading to lost revenue for satellite service providers Identity theft is very fast-growing area Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 12  Identity Theft  Any unauthorized acquisition, possession or trafficking of personal information, or the unauthorized use of information to create a fictitious identity or to assume/takeover an existing identity in order to obtain financial gain, goods or services, or to conceal criminal activities. Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 13  Theft: Shoplifting  Extremely common form of theft  Usually try to snatch the goods when retail clerk is occupied, hide goods on their body  Consumers pay 20% more for goods due to retail theft  Discount stores (Walmart, Costco) have minimal sales help and use highly visible merchandise Attracts both shoppers and thieves! Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 14  Shoplifting: The Shoplifter  “Boosters” – professional shoplifters (10%) who steal and resell stolen goods usually at ~½ original price  “Fence” – receiver of stolen goods  “Snitch” – amateur shoplifter, does not identify as thief but steals for personal use Make up majority of shoplifters Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 15  The Shoplifter  Likely to reform if caught Snitches not part of a criminal subculture More likely to be deterred by contact with the law Apprehension might have the opposite effect because may label the person as an offender, inhibiting deterrence and resulting in more offending Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 16  Controlling Shoplifting  ~10% of shoplifting incidents are detected by store  Customers may see boosters committing crime but unwilling to report  Under Criminal Code s.494(2), owners and employees can arrest a shoplifter Must have reasonable grounds, detain for short time, conduct themselves reasonably Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 17 Controlling Shoplifting  Retailers increasingly using: Target removal strategies – display fake/disabled goods Target hardening strategies – locks, electronic tags, sensors Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 18 Credit and Bank Card Theft  Most credit card abuse is done by amateurs  Professional credit card rings  Criminal offence to steal, forge or falsify a credit card or knowingly use one that has been revoked or cancelled Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 19 Credit and Bank Card Theft  Bogus Internet sites to trick people into using their credit card number  New technologies to combat Internet credit card theft  CC amended to address theft of personal information and stolen cards Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 20 Motor Vehicle Theft  S. 355(1) of Criminal Code auto theft defined as “taking motor vehicle or vessel…without consent” Canada in top ⅓ of all industrialized countries for car theft  Almost all motor vehicle thefts are reported to police because of insurance requirements 40% of vehicles are never found Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 21 Types of Motor Vehicle Theft  Types of car thefts usually divided by whether theft is for temporary personal use, for resale or for parts  5 categories: 1)Joyriding 2)Short-term transportation 3)Long-term transportation 4)Profit 5)Commission of another crime Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 22  Myths About Car Theft 1) Only sports cars or deluxe models are stolen 2) Car theft is not a big issue and everything is usually covered under insurance anyway 3) Canada has a much lower car theft rate than the U.S. 4) Cars are mostly stolen for joy rides and are usually quickly found intact 5) If one doesn’t park in dark alleys or unsupervised parking lots, then not at risk for having car stolen Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 23 Motor Vehicle Theft  Canada: Vehicle stolen every 5 ¼ minutes Vehicle broken into every 30 seconds Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 24  Combating Motor Vehicle Theft  Car theft situational crime prevention efforts: Increase risks of apprehension (information hotlines) IMPACT strategy – “Bait Car” program Reminding people to lock cars Equipping parking lots with cameras and barriers Manufacturers install steering-column locking devices and other security systems Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 25 False Pretences and Fraud  False pretences Deliberate misrepresentation of facts to obtain money/property Victims willingly give possessions to offender  Fraud Broader offence than false pretences Use of deceit/falsehood to obtain $ or property or other valuables from a person or the public Get rich quick schemes, win a trip Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 26 Confidence Games  A swindle, usually involving a get-rich-quick scheme, often with illegal overtones, so that the victim will be too afraid or embarrassed to call police  Modern confidence games are high-tech E.g. corrupt telemarketers contacting elderly victims “Nigerian letter” scam Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 27 http://www.antifraudcentre-centreanti fraude.ca/index-eng.htm Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 28 Embezzlement/Breach of Trust  Embezzlement – taking and keeping property of others (clients or employers) with which one has been entrusted Also called breach of trust S.336 of Criminal Code – maximum penalty 14 yrs in jail E.g. collecting funds from sale of raffle tickets and keeping $ for own use Relatively few people arrested for embezzlement Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 29 Burglary/Break and Enter  Defined in common law as: “the breaking and entering of a dwelling house of another in the night-time with the intent to commit an indictable offence within”  Because involves entering another’s home, which threatens occupants, considered more serious than theft Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 30 Burglary/Break and Enter  Recent Canadian criminal laws do not require forced entry Can enter via deceit, threat, conspiracy No longer has a night-time requirement Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 31 Burglary/Break and Enter: Nature and Extent of B&E  Criminal Code definition of B&E includes 3 different categories: 1) B&E with intent to commit an indictable offence 2) B&E and commission of an indictable offence 3) Breaks out of a place after: (i) committing an indictable offence therein, or (ii) entering the place with intent to commit an indictable offence therein Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 32 Types of B&Es  B&E often done by professional thieves because involves planning, skills, risk  Most burglars motivated by need for cash to purchase substances (substance abuse issues)  Urban burglars may choose crime because unskilled, uneducated, few legitimate opportunities  Some burglars prefer to victimize commercial property over private homes Retail stores are favourite targets Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 33 Types of B&Es  Reasons why a burglar may want to re-victimize the same target: Takes less effort to enter a target that is already known to be suitable Already knows the layout of the target, including escape routes Factors that allowed the 1st burglary to be a success likely haven’t changed (e.g. lack of alarm system) Goods have been observed that could not be removed the 1st time Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 34 Careers in B&Es  Characteristics of successful burglars: 1. Learn skills needed to commit lucrative B&E 2. Must be able to team up to form a gang 3. Must have inside information 4. Must cultivate fences or buyers for stolen goods Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 35 Protect Your Property  Don’t display valuables where they can easily be seen  Close blinds/drapes  Stop mail and newspaper delivery while away  Leave a car in the driveway  Have lights on timers  Keep doors locked  Install a deadbolt  Store valuables in a safety deposit box  Identify your property  Get a dog  Buy a corner house! Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 36 Arson  Arson – the intentional or reckless damage by fire or explosion to property Includes damage to one’s own property, bodily harm to someone else as a consequence of arson, possession of incendiary devices, negligence, fraudulent burning of property  45% of those charged with arson are youth 12-17 years old  85% of offenders are male Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 37  Potential Motives for Arson  Disturbed personality (mental health)  Sexual pleasure  Anger  Revenge against property owners  Arson for profit = insurance fraud  Escape from financial problems (fraud)  Collect insurance  Conceal another crime Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 38  Potential Motives for Arson  Getting rid of outdated/slow moving inventory  Solving labour-management problems  Concealing another crime, such as embezzlement  Paying off (il)legal debts  Relocating/remodelling business Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 39  Summary  Theft is taking and carrying away of the constructive possessions of someone else  Theft offences have been common throughout history  Most thefts are committed by occasional criminals when there is a situational inducement, but there are also professional, skilled criminals undertaking these acts  Target hardening and target removal strategies are increasingly used to prevent theft  Theft of credit and bank cards has become a major problem in North America Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 40  Summary  There are many potential reasons why an individual would commit motor vehicle theft  False pretences and fraud are not the same offence  Burglary/break and enter is the breaking into and entering of a structure to commit an indictable offence such as theft  Professional burglars have careers in which they learn from older, more experienced burglars  Arson involves intentional or reckless damage by fire or explosion to property; the potential motives for arson can be as varied as the criminal undertaking the act Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Limited. 41