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Results for car theft

7 results found

Author: Kazmierow, Bronek J.

Title: Vehicle Crime at Outdoor Recreation and Tourist Destinations: Prevalence, Impact and Solutions

Summary: Vehicle crime in car parks at outdoor recreation and tourist destinations poses an unwelcome problem for visitors and destination managers in New Zealand. Some tourists and recreationists may avoid some outdoor recreation sites and activities because of perceived threats. Currently, no public agencies are fully addressing the problem, and the impact of vehicle crime in these settings is poorly understood. We set out to identify the prevalence and impact of this problem and, where possible, solutions, using a collaborative multiple-method approach that involved quantitative data collection from crime records; surveys of the New Zealand population, and domestic and international tourists; and five targeted recreationist surveys. In addition, qualitative data were gathered through focus groups of recreation participants and non-participants; media content analysis; an assessment of victim accounts; interviews with 30 convicted vehicle crime offenders; and three regional case studies. We found that, in contrast to vehicle crime recorded elsewhere in New Zealand, the incidence of vehicle crime at car parks managed by the Department of Conservation is low and predominately focused at a small number of car parks. Recreationists and the public considered the problem to be somewhat larger than official records suggested it was and, correspondingly, their reported levels of concern were disproportionately large. International tourists, however, were less concerned. Vehicle crime was a significant issue for outdoor recreationists, as this group experienced the highest levels of victimisation. However, international tourists falling victim to this crime appear to suffer the most severe consequences. Solutions uncovered as part of this study are presented, along with a summary of a planning and evaluation framework constructed for destination managers and associated agencies grappling with vehicle crime.

Details: Wellington, NZ: Publishing Team, New Zealand Department of Conservation, 2009. 86p.

Source: Internet Resource: Science for Conservation 298: Accessed August 31, 2011 at: http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc298.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: New Zealand

URL: http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc298.pdf

Shelf Number: 122564

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Theft
Motor Vehicle Theft
Recreation
Tourism

Author: Carcach, Carlos

Title: An Economic Approach to Motor Vehicle Theft

Summary: Motor vehicle theft costs dearly to the Australian economy. Conservative estimates have put the annual cost of this form of illegal activity at 654 million during 1996. A number of initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence and cost of car theft have been implemented in recent years, yet statistics indicate that car theft is on the increase. Several authors have proposed an integrated approach to the regulation of markets for stolen property. Understanding property crime as a market is central to identifying approaches to its control. This paper discusses an industry model of crime and develops it on Australian data. Our model is an adaptation of one originally proposed by Vandeale (1978). It considers a production sector that uses inputs from a market of illegal labour to generate a supply of illegal goods that are traded in a product market. These sectors interact with each other and with a criminal justice sector. The model is applied to the analysis of car theft in Queensland.

Details: Berkeley, CA: Latin American and Caribbean Law and Economics Association (ALACDE) Annual Papers, Berkeley Program in Law and Economics, UC Berkeley, 2010. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Latin American and Caribbean Law and Economics Association (ALACDE) Annual Papers: Accessed October 29, 2011 at: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0r72d6sz

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0r72d6sz

Shelf Number: 123178

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Theft
Illegal Markets
Motor Vehicle Theft (Australia)
Stolen Goods

Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission

Title: Organised Property Crime in Queensland

Summary: Since 1999, the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) has monitored Queensland’s organised crime markets — including the organised property crime market — by means of a series of strategic assessments (CMC 2004, 2009; Queensland Crime Commission & Queensland Police Service 1999). These have consistently assessed the risk posed by organised property crime in Queensland as medium. In 2012 the CMC decided not to conduct a dedicated assessment of the organised property crime market. Instead, it reviewed organised crime trends in Queensland and identified the following current and emerging issues in organised property crime: » motor vehicle theft and rebirthing » boat theft and rebirthing » heavy equipment theft » copper theft. It is important to note that identifying these matters as key issues does not necessarily mean that organised criminals commit most or even many of the kinds of offences discussed here. Our analysis suggests that organised criminals are, however, more likely to be involved in these than other kinds of property crime. This, combined with indications of possible increasing trends over the next two to three years, is why these issues have been highlighted over others. Key findings of the report: 1. Organised vehicle theft in Queensland is likely to increase over the next two to three years, based on recent increases in profit-motivated vehicle thefts, and increasing interstate trends in the theft of vehicles for parts or sale as scrap metal. 2. Compared with organised vehicle theft, organised vehicle rebirthing is less likely to increase because of Queensland’s regulatory standards. 3. Organised heavy equipment theft is increasing in Queensland, particularly in rural and regional areas. These offences are likely to continue to increase over the next few years, assuming continued growth in the mining and construction industries. 4. Most boat thefts in Queensland are organised, and there remains potential for organised crime groups to further exploit this crime type. There are currently weaknesses in boat identification and registration practices providing opportunities for offenders to dispose of stolen boats. 5. Copper theft in Queensland is largely opportunistic, but the associated harms are significant. Monitoring and early action can prevent the issue from escalating as it has done internationally. 6. Key factors contributing to organised property crimes in Queensland are the profits involved, property that is not adequately secure, weaknesses in product identification and registration practices (especially for heavy equipment and boats), and difficulties experienced by law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders. 7. Members of the public and business operators should take steps to reduce the likelihood of their property being targeted by organised or opportunistic criminals.

Details: Brisbane: Crime and Miscondcut Commission, 2012. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2012 at: www.cmc.qld.gov.au/

Year: 2012

Country: Australia

URL:

Shelf Number: 127199

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Boat Theft
Car Theft
Copper Theft
Heavy Equipment Theft
Motor Vehicle Theft
Organized Crime (Australia)
Property Crime

Author: van Ours, Jan C.

Title: The Engine Immobilizer: A Non-Starter for Car Thieves

Summary: We provide evidence for a beneficial welfare impact of a crime policy that is targeted at strenghtening victim precaution. Regulation made application of the electronic engine immobilizer, a simple and low-cost anti-theft device, mandatory for all new cars sold within the European Union as of 1998. We exploit the regulation as source of exogenous variation in use of the device by year of manufacture of cars. Based on detailed data at the level of car models, we find that uniform application of the security device reduced the probability of car theft by an estimated 50 percent on average in the Netherlands during 1995-2008, accounting for both the protective effect on cars with the device and the displacement effect on cars without the device. The costs per prevented theft equal some 1,500 Euro; a fraction of the social benefits of a prevented car theft.

Details: Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University, Tilburg Law and Economics Center, 2013. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2013-004
TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2013-001: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2202165


Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2202165


Shelf Number: 127418

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Theft
Crime Prevention
Engine Immobilizer
Vehicle Theft

Author: Gounev, Philip Martinov

Title: Backdoor Traders: Illicit entrepreneurs and legitimate markets

Summary: This dissertation examines the factors that determine the behaviour of criminal entrepreneurs in legitimate markets. The particular aspect studied is how such entrepreneurs enter a new market when they immigrate into a new country (Chapter 1). The empirical focus of the thesis is the Bulgarian illegal entrepreneurs involved in the sale of stolen cars. More specifically, the dissertation compares their market behaviour in Bulgaria and in Spain between the late 1990s and 2010. The empirical basis for the dissertation is a comprehensive analysis of summaries of 86 Spanish police investigations against organised crime networks, as well as fieldwork consisting of interviews with 79 offenders, law-enforcement officers, entrepreneurs, and car-dealers in Spain and Bulgaria (Chapter 2). To best understand the intertwining of criminal entrepreneurs and legitimate markets the thesis starts by examining the operations of the car markets in Spain and Bulgaria (Chapter 3). It goes on to explain the ‘car-theft industry’ – focusing on how criminal enterprises and networks are structured and operate (Chapter 4). The analysis then continues by comparing how stolen cars are sold by illegal entrepreneurs in Bulgaria and Spain, and the different ways in which ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ markets intertwine (Chapter 5). The conclusion of this analysis is that Bulgarian criminal entrepreneurs failed to enter the market for used cars in Spain, and instead preferred to traffic and sell the stolen cars in Bulgaria. There are two sets of factors that explain the reasons behind this failure. The first one is the local socio-economic and historical legacies in Bulgaria, which explain how illegal entrepreneurs and buyers (typically part of local economic elites) are linked (Chapter 6), and the factors that fuel demand for stolen cars. The role of the Bulgarian immigrant community in Spain is also considered. The second set of factors, examined through the lenses of economic theories, includes the economic / business rationale that influences the illegal entrepreneurs’ behaviour when entering a market (Chapter 7). The thesis goes on to conclude (Chapter 8) that it is the first set, the complex socio-economic and historical factors that best explain the behaviour of criminal entrepreneurs and their failure to sell stolen cars in Spain.

Details: London: The London School of Economics and Political Science, 2011. 307p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 7, 2013 at: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/168/1/Gounev_Backdoor_traders.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Bulgaria

URL: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/168/1/Gounev_Backdoor_traders.pdf

Shelf Number: 129261

Keywords:
Car Theft
Illegal Markets
Illegal Trade (Bulgaria)
Motor Vehicle Theft
Organized Crime
Stolen Goods
Stolen Vehicles

Author: Morgan, Nick

Title: Reducing criminal opportunity: vehicle security and vehicle crime

Summary: This report analyses trends in vehicle security devices and tries to determine the extent to which improved security has driven down vehicle-related theft in England and Wales and other nations. For the first half of the 20th century, few vehicle thefts were recorded and vehicle security devices were rare. Then thefts started rising in the 1960s and steering locks were introduced as a result. These checked rather than halted rising crime, leading to a 'second wave' of security devices in the 1980s and 1990s including central locking, car alarms and - most importantly - electronic immobilisers. To begin with, these devices appeared to have little effect as vehicle crime levels rose faster than ever up until 1993. But then crime began to fall sharply as many of the 'second-wave' devices spread through the vehicle fleet. Using a mixed-methods approach, this report attempts to assess the degree to which improved vehicle security might have caused the vehicle crime decline by reducing the number of opportunities for would-be offenders. Findings are supportive of a marked crime-reduction effect. But the results also suggest that security has not been universally effective, nor does it seem to be the only factor that has made vehicle crime rise and fall so sharply over the last 50 years.

Details: London: Home Office, 2016. 139p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 87: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/489097/horr87.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/489097/horr87.pdf

Shelf Number: 137477

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Theft
Crime Prevention
Motor Vehicle Theft
Vehicle Crime
Vehicle Theft

Author: Foster, John Robert Wilfred

Title: Development a Relevant Business Model for the South African Informal Car Guarding Sector

Summary: Car guarding, a uniquely South African activity, has become a common form of informal employment. The perception of many is that car guarding is a last resort of financial survival and pursued by those entrapped in a life of drug/alcohol addiction or poor life choices. This study had five objectives: firstly to determine if car guarding and the income made solely from tips is an economically viable mean of survival; secondly to determine the socio-cultural challenges (such as the perception towards car guards) and the physical challenges (such as weather conditions faced) while performing their duties; thirdly to discover general and specific skills car guards possess, either from past employment, or obtained while car guarding; fourthly to reveal the factors which influenced individuals to become car guards; and lastly to better evaluate the current car guarding business models, in order to provide suggestions to improve these. An exploratory research design with convenience sampling of 30 car guards at six different public domains was used. The study was limited to Durban because a degree of rapport had been built through previous informal discussions with car guards. Data was collected from car guards by means of one on one detailed open-ended qualitative questioning in order to ascertain reasons and opinions. Quantitative aspects were not explored. The data obtained was recorded and analyzed by thematic analysis. The study revealed the dismal situation of car guards. For example, at most venues they are charged a "bay fee" to guard a designated area, and have no choice but to survive on the limited amount of donations they are able to obtain, after paying the fee. Besides being harassed and often intimidated by both motorists; security officers and the management of parking premises, they have to brave the elements and work long hours with no physical protection and hardly any employer-support. Recommendations include implementation of a more effective business model to allow for formalization of car guard employment and at the very least good work standards, training and skill development. Organizations need to rise to the challenge to support car guards and local Community Policing Forums (CPF) need to be more involved in assisting car guards.

Details: University of Kwazulu-Natal, College of Law and Management Studies, 2015. 152p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 12, 2018 at: http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/14748/Foster_John_Robert_Wilfred_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Year: 2015

Country: South Africa

URL: http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/14748/Foster_John_Robert_Wilfred_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Shelf Number: 153390

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Guards
Car Theft
Crime Prevention
Informal Economy
Security Officers