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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for motor vehicle theft
27 results foundAuthor: Lebeya, Seswantsho Godfrey Title: Organised Crime in the Southern African Development Community with Specific Reference to Motor Vehicle Theft Summary: This objective of this study is to analyze the laws used by the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation member countries in fighting motor vehicle theft, transnational organized crime, recoveries, repatriation, prosecution and extradition of offenders. The member countries on which the analysis is done are Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2007. 156p. Source: Internet Resource; Master of Laws Thesis Year: 2007 Country: Africa URL: Shelf Number: 119111 Keywords: Motor Vehicle TheftOrganized CrimeVehicle Crime |
Author: Brace, Charlotte Title: The Relationship Between Crime and Road Safety Summary: The aim of this project was to review the literature on the relationship between crime and road safety, to identify pertinent Victorian crime and road safety data, and discuss how such data can be utilised to examine the relationship between crime and road safety. Of specific interest was the relationship between criminal activity of individuals and the likelihood of these individuals being involved in a fatal or serious injury outcome road crash. The key findings of this research suggests that t here is a positive relationship between: general negative behaviour (e.g. involvement in antisocial behaviours) and risky driving behaviour; criminal behaviour and traffic offences (specifically violence, theft & burglary and recidivist/drink driving, driving whilst disqualified; risky traffic behaviour contributing to a crash and criminal history (particularly for violent crime, vandalism, property crime, and involvement in traffic crime), and; crash involvement, drink driving and general criminal history including theft, car theft, drug and alcohol related crimes, violence and property damage. This report documents a variety of approaches that have been adopted internationally to examine these relationships, and highlights that such work has not been undertaken in Victoria to date. Moreover, the limitations and barriers for linking crime and road safety data in Victoria are discussed and these predominantly concern privacy and ethics, matching of data, issues with data analysis and cost/resource factors. A number of recommendations are made to overcome these data limitations, and to explore more fully the relationship between crime and road safety in Victoria. Details: Victoria, Australia: Monash University, Accident Research Centre, 2009. 60p. Source: Internet Resource; Report No. 284 Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119337 Keywords: Alcohol Related CrimeAutomobile TheftCrime (Victoria, Australia)Drunk DrivingMotor Vehicle TheftRecidivismTraffic OffensesVandalism |
Author: Weatherburn, Don Title: Rates of Participation in Burglary and Motor Vehicle Theft: Estimates and Implications for Policy Summary: This bulletin uses techniques developed in population biology to estimate the number of offenders actively involved in burglary and motor vehicle theft in NSW during the period 2006-2007, as well as the percentage of offenders apprehended and convicted. We estimate the participation rates in burglary and motor vehicle theft to have been approximately 32,000 (burglary) and 23,000 (motor vehicle theft). The overall detection and conviction rates amongst these groups of offenders were found to be much higher than is conventionally assumed (16.6 per cent for burglary and 13.5 for motor vehicle theft). The analysis provides evidence that there are two distinct groups of offenders – one offending at a very high rate and the other at a much lower rate. The majority of frequent offenders are caught and convicted but most infrequent offenders escape conviction. The bulletin concludes by arguing that control of burglary and motor vehicle theft requires a combination of law enforcement targeted at high rate offenders and prevention strategies designed to remove the opportunities and incentives for involvement in crime. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2009. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Crime and Justice Bulletin, No. 130: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB130.pdf/$file/CJB130.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB130.pdf/$file/CJB130.pdf Shelf Number: 119896 Keywords: Automobile TheftBurglaryMotor Vehicle Theft |
Author: Cahill, Meagan Title: Motor Vehicle Theft in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009 Summary: Over the past 50 years, nationwide rates of motor vehicle thefts rose slowly and steadily to a peak in 1990 and then declined to a low in 2009. Rates in Washington, D.C. were higher and more volatile, averaging three to four times the national rate for two decades. Recently, however, rates in D.C. dropped to their lowest level in 25 years. While the Sixth Police District (6D) had the highest rates and counts of motor vehicle theft over the study period, the Seventh Police District (7D) had the largest percentage increase. Hot spots in 6D were located along major thoroughfares. Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 6: Accessed October 28, 2010 at: Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 120001 Keywords: Automobile TheftCrime StatisticsHot SpotsMotor Vehicle Theft |
Author: Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Title: Trend Report on Violent Crime at Shopping Centres March 2008 Summary: This report is aimed at providing shopping centre owners and managers with an overview of violent crime occurring at shopping centers. The data for this report was collected from the following sources: incidents reported to the initiative by shopping centers, South African Berau (SABRIC) recorded incidents, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) retail database and press reports. The Shopping Centre Security Initiative focuses specifically on violent crime occurring at shopping centers. The initiative has identified a number of different categories of violent crime that occur at, or are linked to, shopping centers. These categories include: Cash-in Transit: This refers to robberies of bulk cash whilst in the custody of Cash-in Transit service providers. With regards to shopping centers, these robberies could occur while the cash-in-transit service provider’s vehicle is moving or ‘cross pavement’ where the personel of the cash-in-transit service provider is robbed while making their way to the vehicle. Robberies: Where armed robberies occur in an actual retail outlet situated in a shopping centre. These robberies involve both cash and merchandise - including valuables such as jewelry or cellular phones. Robberies are associated with the threat of weapons. Hi-Jackings: This refers to armed robberies of vehicles either at the shopping centre itself or where the victim is followed from the shopping centre and then robbed of their vehicle outside the shopping centre premises. ATM Attacks: This refers specifically to where explosives were used by criminals in order to disable ATM machines. Shopping centers as places to target victims: This refers to incidents where criminals make use of shopping centers to identify people to be targeted and then follow the targeted victim out of the shopping centre and rob them outside the shopping centre premises. Details: South Africa: Consumer Goods Council, Crime Prevention Council, 2008. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 27, 2011 at: www.restaurant.org.za/downloads/crime1.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 121541 Keywords: Automated Teller Machines (ATM) CrimesAutomobile TheftCash-In-Transit CrimesCrimes Against BusinessesMotor Vehicle TheftRetail CrimesRobberiesShopping Malls |
Author: Shields, Danielle Title: Auto Theft in Nevada, 1994-2008 Summary: Motor vehicle theft involves the unlawful theft or attempted theft of a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land surfaces and not on rails (FBI, 2008). Nationally, nearly 1 million motor vehicles were stolen in 2008, totaling over $6 billion in losses (FBI, 2008). Efforts to control motor vehicle theft have primarily focused on making it more difficult to steal vehicles (e.g., by installing car alarms, ignition “kill switches”, and GPS tracking systems), redesigning physical spaces where vehicles are located (e.g., better lighting, security checkpoints), and increasing the number of law enforcement programs designed to catch these offenders. This state data brief describes the patterns of motor vehicle theft in Nevada and compares them to national trends. It examines the prevalence of motor vehicle thefts over time, the different types of motor vehicle theft and their characteristics, and the profile of persons arrested for this crime. This report also describes motor vehicle anti-theft strategies that have been enacted by law enforcement in Nevada. Details: Las Vegas, NV: University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Center for the Analysis of Crime Statistics, 2010. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: State Data Brief: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www.unlv.edu/centers/crimestats/SDBs/Auto%20Theft/Auto%20Theft%20v4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.unlv.edu/centers/crimestats/SDBs/Auto%20Theft/Auto%20Theft%20v4.pdf Shelf Number: 121744 Keywords: Automobile Theft (Nevada)Crime PreventionMotor Vehicle Theft |
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 TheftCar TheftMotor Vehicle TheftRecreationTourism |
Author: Nunley, John M. Title: The Impact of Macroeconomic Conditions on Property Crime Summary: This paper examines the impact of inflation, (un)employment, and stock market growth on the rates of larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and robbery. The study uses U.S. data for the time period 1948 to 2009. We employ an unobserved component approach to circumvent the problems associated with omitted variables. We find that the three macroeconomic variables have a statistically significant impact for most of the property crime rates. However, taken together the macroeconomic variables explain no more than 15 percent of the surge in property crimes from the 1960 to the 1980s and their subsequent fall during the 1990s. Among the macroeconomic variables, almost all of the explanatory power is provided by changes in the inflation rate. Details: Auburn, AL: Auburn University, 2011. 35p. Department of Economics Source: Internet Resource: Auburn University Department of Economics Working Paper Series: Accessed October 22, 2011 at: http://cla.auburn.edu/econwp/Archives/2011/2011-06.pdf Year: 0 Country: United States URL: http://cla.auburn.edu/econwp/Archives/2011/2011-06.pdf Shelf Number: 123092 Keywords: BurglaryEconomics and CrimeLarcenyMotor Vehicle TheftProperty CrimeRobberyUnemployment and Crime123092 |
Author: LaVigne, Nancy Title: Evaluation of Camera Use to Prevent Crime in Commuter Parking Facilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial Summary: Car-related crimes are a pervasive problem in the United States: each year an estimated 3.3 million people have their cars stolen or broken into. The cost of these crimes is significant: in 2008, the total value of stolen cars was roughly $6.4 billion, while another $1.6 billion was lost through thefts from cars. Commuter parking facilities, where owners leave their cars unattended for most of the day, have particularly high rates of car crime (Clarke 2002; Clarke and Mayhew 1998). Almost onequarter (23.7 percent) of car thefts and nearly 12 percent of all thefts happen in parking lots and non-residential garages. Despite the frequency and cost of car crime, strategies to prevent these crimes have not been well studied. This evaluation report examines the impact of digital cameras in reducing car crime in parking facilities serving riders of Washington, DC’s commuter rail system. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) runs the second-largest rail transit system and sixth-largest bus network in the United States. Between 1999 and 2003, before this study began, roughly half of all serious crimes on Metro property took place in parking facilities. Car crimes were roughly split between stolen cars and thefts from cars, but crime rates were not equal across Metro stations: just over one-third (36 percent) of the stations accounted for 80 percent of car crimes in 2003. These data suggest that some stations make better targets than others — and finding out why could help prevent those crimes. Urban Institute researchers, working with Metro Transit Police (MTP), set out to identify what parking facility characteristics and management practices might create opportunities for crime, analyze those findings in relation to past crimes, and identify promising crime reduction strategies. Noting the limited surveillance of Metro station parking facilities, researchers recommended WMATA use prominently placed cameras to deter offenders. To minimize costs, MTP chose to invest in digital cameras, installing still cameras (not video cameras) at the exits of half of Metro’s commuter parking lots, along with signs alerting drivers (and potential criminals) that license plate numbers and exit times were being recorded and monitored. Similar to “red light” traffic cameras, the digital cameras were equipped with motion detectors to take still photos of cars — including their license plates — as they exited the facility. In addition to deterring criminals, the cameras could provide Metro police with information to tailor their patrol schedules (such as the exact times of thefts) and aid in investigations. In reality, however, only a third of the cameras were live due to budget constraints; nevertheless, the dummy cameras were expected to convey the perception of surveillance. This strategy relied heavily on rational choice theory as embodied in situational crime prevention (SCP): by creating the perception of greater surveillance, law enforcement agencies hope to convince potential criminals that they are more likely to get caught and that they should consequently refrain from crime or take their criminal activities elsewhere. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2011. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 12, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236740.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/236740.pdf Shelf Number: 123594 Keywords: Automobile TheftMotor Vehicle TheftParking FacilitiesSituational Crime PreventionVideo CamerasVideo Surveillance |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Monitoring the impact of economic crisis on crime Summary: Within the context of the United Nations Global Pulse initiative on monitoring the impact of crisis on vulnerable populations, this report presents the results of a unique cross-national analysis that aims to investigate the possible effects of economic stress on crime. Using police-recorded crime data for the crimes of intentional homicide, robbery and motor vehicle theft, from fifteen country or city contexts across the world, the analysis examines in particular the period of global financial crisis in 2008/2009. As economic crisis may occur over a relatively short timescale, this period, as well as – in many cases – up to 20 years previously, are examined using high frequency (monthly) crime and economic data. The report finds that, whether in times of economic crisis or non-crisis, economic factors play an important role in the evolution of crime trends. Out of a total of fifteen countries examined, statistical modelling identifies an economic predictor for at least one crime type in twelve countries (80 percent), suggesting some overall association between economic changes and crime. In eleven of the fifteen countries examined, economic indicators showed significant changes suggestive of a period of economic crisis in 2008/2009. Both visual inspection of data series and statistical modelling suggest that in eight of these eleven ‘crisis’ countries, changes in economic factors were associated with changes in crime, leading to identifiable crime ‘peaks’ during the time of crisis. Violent property crime types such as robbery appeared most affected during times of crisis, with up to two-fold increases in some contexts during a period of economic stress. However, in some contexts, increases in homicide and motor vehicle theft were also observed. These findings are consistent with criminal motivation theory, which suggests that economic stress may increase the incentive for individuals to engage in illicit behaviours. In no case where it was difficult to discern a peak in crime was any decrease in crime observed. As such, the available data do not support a criminal opportunity theory that decreased levels of production and consumption may reduce some crime types, such as property crime, through the generation of fewer potential crime targets. For each country/city a number of individual crimes and economic variables were analyzed. Across all combinations, a significant association between an economic factor and a crime type was identified in around 47 percent of individual combinations. For each country, different combinations of crime and economic predictors proved to be significant. Among the two methods used to analyze the links between economic and crime factors (visualization and statistical modelling), different combinations of factors were found to be significant and in five cases the two methods identified the same variables. Three out of these five cases represented city contexts rather than national contexts. This may indicate that associations between crime and economic factors are best examined at the level of the smallest possible geographic unit. Where an association between one or more economic variables and crime outcomes were identified by statistical modelling, the model frequently indicated a lag time between changes in the economic variable and resultant impact on crime levels. The average lag time in the contexts examined was around four and half months. In this respect, it should be noted that the relationship between crime and economy is not necessarily uni-directional. Whilst there are theoretical arguments for why changes in economic conditions may affect crime, it could also be the case that crime itself impacts upon economic and developmental outcomes, such as when very high violent crime levels dissuade investment. During the statistical modelling process, crime was set as the ‘outcome’ variable and economic data as the ‘independent’ variable. As such, the model was not used to investigate the converse relationship – whether changes in crime could also help explain economic outcomes. The statistical model proved successful at forecasting possible changes in crime for a number of crime typecountry/ city contexts. Forecasting for a period of three months using a statistical model with economic predictors proved possible with reasonable accuracy (both in terms of direction and magnitude) in a number of different contexts, including both in times of crisis and non-crisis. Many of the forecasts are sufficiently accurate to be of value in a practical scenario. Crime forecasts sometimes led, however, to underestimation of crime changes, suggesting that modelling of crime changes is not optimal when based on economic predictors alone. Indeed, economic changes are not the only factor that may impact levels of crime. The presence of youth gangs, weapons availability, the availability and level of protection of potential targets, drug and alcohol consumption and the effectiveness of law enforcement activity all play a significant role in enabling or restraining overall crime levels. Although the challenges remain significant, this report demonstrates that – with comparatively few resources – a lot may be learned from the application of analytical techniques to existing data. Continued methodological development, including the creation of an online data reporting ‘portal’, as well as the strengthening of exchange of information and experience, between countries, has the potential to lay the foundation of a strong ‘early-warning’ system. The analysis reported here does not prove the existence of relationships between economic factors and crime. It does provide strong indications that certain associations are present, and that much may be gained from further investigation. If the impact of economic stress on crime trends can be further understood, and even forecasted in the short-term, then there is the potential to gain much through policy development and crime prevention action. Details: Vienna, Austria: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2012 at http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/GIVAS_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/GIVAS_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 124137 Keywords: Crime RatesCrime TrendsEconomics and CrimeHomicideMotor Vehicle TheftRobbery |
Author: Pearson, Ashley Title: An Evaluation of Winnipeg’s Electronic Monitoring Pilot Project For Youth Auto Theft Offenders Summary: In 2008, the Manitoba government implemented an electronic monitoring (EM) project for high-risk automobile theft offenders. To evaluate this program, youth in the program were matched with other high-risk auto theft offenders who had not been put on EM. Dimensions including characteristics, daily contacts and criminal histories were examined between groups. Interviews were also conducted with offenders who had been on EM and with program staff and stakeholders. The results of the evaluation indicated a small change in criminal history for the EM group for auto theft, technical and combined offences. Since the Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy (WATSS) began in 2005, there has been a decrease of approximately 11,000 auto thefts. Notably, only a very small part of this number could be attributed to the EM program. Electronic monitoring as an intervention can be a complementary program when offered in accompaniment with other WATSS and Manitoba Youth Correctional Services (MYCS) programs. Details: Winnipeg: Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba, 2012. 242p. Source: Internet Resource: Master's Thesis: Accessed August 11, 2012 at: http://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/1993/8102/1/Pearson_Ashley.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/1993/8102/1/Pearson_Ashley.pdf Shelf Number: 125968 Keywords: Automobile Theft (Canada)Electronic MonitoringJuvenile OffendersMotor Vehicle Theft |
Author: Aldridge, Chris D. Title: "Bait Vehicle" Technologies and Motor Vehicle Theft Along the Southwest Border Summary: In 2005, over 33% of all the vehicles reported stolen in the United States occurred in the four southwestern border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, which all have very high vehicle theft rates in comparison to the national average. This report describes the utilization of “bait vehicles” and associated technologies in the context of motor vehicle theft along the southwest border of the U.S. More than 100 bait vehicles are estimated to be in use by individual agencies and auto theft task forces in the southwestern border states. The communications, tracking, mapping, and remote control technologies associated with bait vehicles provide law enforcement with an effective tool to obtain arrests in vehicle theft “hot spots.” Recorded audio and video from inside the vehicle expedite judicial proceedings as offenders rarely contest the evidence presented. At the same time, law enforcement is very interested in upgrading bait vehicle technology through the use of live streaming video for enhanced officer safety and improved situational awareness. Bait vehicle effectiveness could be enhanced by dynamic analysis of motor theft trends through exploitation of geospatial, timeline, and other analytical tools to better inform very near-term operational decisions, including the selection of particular vehicle types. This “information-led” capability would especially benefit from more precise and timely information on the location of vehicles stolen in the United States and found in Mexico. Introducing Automated License Plate Reading (ALPR) technology to collect information associated with stolen motor vehicles driven into Mexico could enhance bait vehicle effectiveness. Details: Livermore, CA: Sandia National Laboratories, 2007. 40p. Source: Sandia Report SAND2007-6010: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2012 at http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/2007/076010.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/2007/076010.pdf Shelf Number: 126177 Keywords: Automobile TheftBait VehicleMotor Vehicle TheftPolice TechnologyVehicle Theft |
Author: Roberts, David J. Title: Automated License Plate Recognition Systems: Policy and Operational Guidance for Law Enforcement Summary: Law enforcement officers are often searching for vehicles that have been reported stolen, are suspected of being involved in criminal or terrorist activities, are owned by persons who are wanted by authorities, have failed to pay parking violations or maintain current vehicle license registration, and any of a number of other factors. Law enforcement agencies throughout the nation are increasingly adopting automated license plate recognition (ALPR) technologies, which function to automatically capture an image of the vehicle’s license plate, transform that image into alphanumeric characters, compare the plate number acquired to one or more databases of vehicles of interest, and alert the officer when a vehicle of interest has been observed, all within a matter of seconds This project was designed to assess ALPR implementation among law enforcement agencies in the United States, and to identify emerging implementation practices to provide operational and policy guidance to the field. A random sample of 444 local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies was surveyed. A total of 305 agencies responded to the initial survey (68.7%). Threequarters of respondents (235 agencies, 77.0%) indicated that they were not using ALPR, while 70 agencies (23.0%) responded that they were using ALPR. A longer, more detailed survey was sent to the 70 agencies who confirmed they were using ALPR, and 40 agencies (57.1%) responded. Survey respondents had typically implemented mobile ALPR systems (95%), and were primarily using ALPR for auto theft (69%), vehicle and traffic enforcement (28%), and investigations (25%). Agencies reported increases in stolen vehicle recoveries (68%), arrests (55%), and productivity (50%). Fewer than half (48%) had developed ALPR policies. Over half (53%) updated their ALPR hot lists wirelessly, and nearly half (43%) updated their hot lists once each day. A total of 40% of respondents retain ALPR data for six months or less (n=16). Five respondents (13%) indicated they retain ALPR data indefinitely, while two indicated that retention is based on the storage capacity of the equipment installed. ALPR technology is a significant tool in the arsenal of law enforcement and public safety agencies. Realizing the core business values that ALPR promises, however, can only be achieved through proper planning, implementation, training, deployment, use, and management of the technology and the information it provides. Like all tools and technologies available to law enforcement, ALPR must also be carefully managed. Policies must be developed and strictly enforced to ensure the quality of the data, the security of the system, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and the privacy of information gathered. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 2012. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/239604.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/239604.pdf Shelf Number: 126737 Keywords: Automated License Plate Scanning (U.S.)Criminal InvestigationsMotor Vehicle TheftStolen VehiclesSurveillance Equipment |
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 TheftBoat TheftCar TheftCopper TheftHeavy Equipment TheftMotor Vehicle TheftOrganized Crime (Australia)Property Crime |
Author: Bileski, Matt Title: Arizona Property Crime Trends, CY2002-2011 Data Brief Summary: The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is a valuable tool for analyzing the frequency and rate of crime in Arizona and across the country. According to the FBI, the U.S. property crime rate, as measured by three property index offenses (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft), has decreased from calendar years (CY) 2002 through 2011. This data brief looks more closely at the trends over time in Arizona for the three property index offenses. Although arson is often included in national data, arson offense rates are not available for Arizona. Instead, data on the U.S. arson offense rate and arrests for arson in Arizona are provided. The data used in this brief were submitted to the FBI’s UCR program by local police agencies across Arizona and the nation and was published by the FBI in their UCR program report titled Crime in the United States. Details: Phoenix: Statistical Analysis Center, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, 2013. 2p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 26, 2013 at: http://acjc.state.az.us/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/Arizona%20Property%20Crime%20Trends%20CY2002-2011.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://acjc.state.az.us/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/Arizona%20Property%20Crime%20Trends%20CY2002-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 128136 Keywords: ArsonBurglaryCrime Statistics (Arizona, U.S.)Larceny-TheftMotor Vehicle TheftProperty Crimes |
Author: Taylor, Bruce Title: Combating Auto Theft in Arizona: A Randomized Experiment with License Plate Recognition Technology Summary: License Plate Recognition Technology (LPR) is a relatively new tool for law enforcement that reads license plates on vehicles using a system of algorithms, optical character recognition, cameras, and databases. Through high-speed camera systems mounted on police cars or at fixed locations, LPR systems scan license plates in real time, and compare them against databases of stolen vehicles, as well as vehicles connected to fugitives or other persons of interest, and alert police personnel to any matches. Although the use of LPR technology is extensive in the United Kingdom and becoming more prevalent in the United States, research on LPR effectiveness is very limited, particularly with respect to how LPR use affects crime. This report presents results from a randomized field experiment with LPRs conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum and the Mesa, Arizona Police Department (MPD) to target the problem of auto theft. The experiment sought to determine whether and to what extent LPR use improves the ability of police to recover stolen cars, apprehend auto thieves, and deter auto theft. We did this by examining the operations of a specialized 4-car MPD auto theft unit that worked in auto theft hot spots over a period of time both with and without LPR devices. The experiment was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 of the study, which lasted 30 weeks, involved operations focused on “hot routes”—high risk road segments, averaging 0.5 miles in length, that we believed auto thieves were likely to use based on analysis of auto theft and recovery locations and the input of detectives. At randomly selected times over this 30-week period, officers worked 45 randomly assigned routes using the LPR equipment (each police car was equipped with an LPR system) and another 45 randomly selected routes doing extensive manual checks of license plates. An additional 27 routes were randomly assigned to serve as a control group for the analysis of trends in auto theft. (These routes received only normal patrol operations.) In Phase 2, conducted over 18 weeks, operations shifted to larger “hot zones” of auto theft activity that averaged about 1 square mile in size. Fifty-four hot zones were identified and randomly assigned to the same conditions as in Phase 1. At randomly selected times during Phase 2 officers worked 18 zones using the LPRs and another 18 zones doing manual license checks. The remaining 18 zones served as a control group that received only normal patrol. Each phase involved the same number of officers working approximately one hour a day in each LPR and manual route/zone for eight days spread over two weeks. (For purposes of surveillance, investigation, and pursuit, the auto theft unit operated as a team with all officers working in the same route or zone at the same time.) The main difference was that in Phase 2 the officers conducted more roving surveillance. Experimental results showed that LPR use considerably enhanced the productivity of the auto theft unit in checking license plates, detecting stolen vehicles and plates, apprehending auto thieves, and recovering stolen vehicles. Combining results across both phases, the use of LPRs resulted in 8 to 10 times more plates checked, nearly 3 times as many “hits” for stolen vehicles, and twice as many vehicle recoveries. Further, all hits for stolen plates, all arrests for stolen vehicles or plates, and all recoveries of occupied vehicles were attributable to use of the LPRs (all arrests for stolen vehicles and recoveries of occupied vehicles occurred in Phase 1). Across both phases, use of the LPRs produced 36 hits for stolen vehicles or plates, 5 arrests for stolen vehicles or plates, and 14 vehicle recoveries (4 of which involved occupied vehicles). These numbers are modest relative to the time officers spent using the LPRs (the officers worked 192 shifts over the course of the two phases, using LPRs approximately half of the time); however, the results were constrained by a number of factors, including limits on the data that were entered into the LPR system (which consisted primarily of state-level data on stolen automobiles), relatively low levels of auto theft in Mesa during the experiment, and, perhaps most importantly, the design of the experiment, which required the officers to work the locations according to a predetermined, randomized schedule (in order to ensure that the places and times worked with LPRs were comparable to the places and times worked without LPRs). Data from other operations by the auto theft unit suggest that officers using LPRs can improve hits for stolen vehicles considerably when targeting operations based on recent theft data and daily traffic patterns. Our experiment primarily demonstrates the improvements in productivity that police can achieve using LPRs relative to manual license checks under equal conditions. LPR use did not reduce crime in the hot routes and zones, though note that the dosage of LPR intervention in each location was modest. However, the manual license check operations produced shortterm reductions in auto theft during Phase 1 of the experiment. We speculate that the unit had a more visible presence when doing manual checks because they spent more time moving along the main routes as well as roaming parking lots, apartment complexes, and side streets—often at slow speeds and with frequent pauses. This may have made the officers more conspicuous and made it more obvious to onlookers that they were checking vehicles. These effects were likely intensified by the smaller locations the officers worked during Phase 1. When using the LPRs in Phase 1, in contrast, the officers were more likely to make quick passes through side streets and parking lots and then remain at fixed positions along the route. Finally, we did not find evidence of crime displacement or a diffusion of crime control benefits associated with either form of patrol in either phase. We conclude by discussing limitations of the study, questions for future research, and policy implications of the results (such as how police might optimize the use of LPRs to improve recoveries of stolen vehicles and apprehension of auto thieves while also achieving the crime reduction benefits of the manual license check patrols). Details: Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum, 2011. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2013 at: http://www.policeforum.org/library/technology/FinalreportPERFLPRstudy12-7-11submittedtoNIJ.PDF Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/library/technology/FinalreportPERFLPRstudy12-7-11submittedtoNIJ.PDF Shelf Number: 129020 Keywords: Automobile Theft (Arizona)License Plate Recognition TechnologyMotor 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 TheftIllegal MarketsIllegal Trade (Bulgaria)Motor Vehicle TheftOrganized CrimeStolen GoodsStolen Vehicles |
Author: Cohen, Irwin M. Title: A Report on the Utility of the Automated Licence Plate Recognition System in British Columbia Summary: With the high rate of auto theft in British Columbia and the general risk to the public from unlicenced, prohibited, or uninsured drivers, the RCMP, other municipal police forces, and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia continue to develop and test a myriad of strategies to keep citizens safe. One such strategy is the deployment of Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology. Over the last decade, British Columbia has had the reputation of being a world leader in auto thefts per capita. In 2003, 40,000 cars and trucks were stolen in British Columbia, with 30,000 of these stolen from within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (Schuurman, 2007). More specifically, until very recently, the city of Surrey, British Columbia, was known as the auto theft capital of the world (Schuurman, 2007). In 2005 alone, the city of Surrey experienced nearly 6,500 auto thefts (Schuurman, 2007). As part of a more general response to auto theft, in 2006, IMPACT (Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team) began to examine the utility and feasibility of ALPR. The current study will discuss the results of the initial phase of the testing of this technology and its effectiveness in assisting police to respond to auto theft and other auto-related offences. ALPR technology uses illumination to highlight a licence plate, allowing a camera to take a photograph of the car’s licence plate. The plate image is then scanned by image-processing software which extracts the necessary data and compares the data against any number of police databases (Gordon and Wolf, 2007). ALPR software is a form of Optical Character Recognition which scans images and recognizes the characters present (Gordon and Wolf, 2007). Theoretically, ALPR can scan up to 3,600 plates per hour, either from a moving or stationary platform (Pughe, 2006). The technology can work in all lighting and weather conditions. ALPR was originally designed for use with parking lot security to regulate, for example, entry to the location or to record time of entry (Gordon and Wolf, 2007). However, current technology allows the licence plate to be compared with information stored on a variety of databases, such as stolen car hotlists or prohibited driver databases. While currently in use in British Columbia to identify stolen vehicles and unlicenced, uninsured, and/or prohibited drivers, ALPR can also assist the police to identify persons of interest associated with other criminal activity. According to a recent article (Canada NewsWire, 2007), auto theft is associated with a wide range of criminal activity, including the offences of break and enter, armed robbery, and drug-related offences. In other words, offenders steal cars for use in the commission of additional offences. For example, drug offenders may steal from within cars, but may also steal the car to raise money to purchase drugs (Schuurman, 2007). Those engaged in break and enters may steal cars to transport the stolen property. Given this, ALPR may have the benefit of assisting the police to uncover other crimes in the course of investigating prohibited, unlicenced, or uninsured drivers. As such, ALPR has the capacity to deter criminal activity, assist in locating offenders, and recover stolen property. The ability of ALPR to assist in these critical police functions is based on research suggesting that those who consistently violate traffic regulations often have a criminal history (Rose, 2000). For example, Chenery, Henshaw, and Pease (1999) found that one-third of people who illegally parked in disabled parking spots had a previous criminal record, nearly half (49 per cent) had a history of traffic violations, and one-fifth (21 per cent) were of immediate police interest or were known or suspected of having involvement with other criminal activities (18 per cent). In this study, registered keepers of vehicles who were of immediate interest to the police, who had a criminal record, whose vehicle had a history of traffic violations, whose vehicle had been used in the past for criminal activity, or who had a current vehicle illegality were all significantly more likely to be parked illegally than legally (Chenery, Henshaw, & Pease, 1999). This research suggests that ALPR can assist police beyond catching traffic violators by providing an additional tool to identify those individuals who are wanted by the police. The literature on ALPR is, to date, fairly limited. Although the technology has been used in various countries across the world, very little research on its utility has been conducted. The following sections will review the history of use of ALPR, discuss the current research project, and consider the known benefits and limitations of the technology. Details: Vancouver, BC: University College of the Fraser Valley, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2007. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/ccjr/publications/ALPR.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Canada URL: http://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/ccjr/publications/ALPR.pdf Shelf Number: 129454 Keywords: Automated License Plate Recognition SystemsAutomobile Theft (Canada)Motor Vehicle TheftPolice Technology |
Author: Weatherburn, Don Title: The Decline in Robbery and Theft: Inter-state Comparisons Summary: Aim: To describe and discuss inter-jurisdictional trends in police-recorded robbery and theft offences. Method: Rates of recorded robbery and theft per head of population are calculated for each Australian jurisdiction from 1994/1995 to 2012. Rates of recorded robbery are disaggregated into armed and unarmed robbery. Rates of recorded theft are disaggregated into burglary, motor vehicle theft and other theft. Results: In most jurisdictions, trends in recorded robbery and theft offences rose during the late 1990s, peaked around 2001 and then fell from 2001 to 2012. Between 2001 and 2009, recorded rates of robbery offences in Australia fell by 49.1 per cent, recorded rates of burglary fell by 57.3 per cent, recorded rates of motor vehicle theft fell by 62.2 per cent and recorded rates of other theft fell by 39.3 per cent. Conclusion: The national decline in robbery and theft offences is partly due to a reduction in heroin use and partly due to improvements in the economy but other factors are likely to have also played a role. Research into the causes of the fall in crime is hampered by the absence of any regional breakdown in national recorded crime statistics. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue paper no. 89; Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB89.pdf/$file/BB89.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB89.pdf/$file/BB89.pdf Shelf Number: 129631 Keywords: BurglaryCrime DropCrime StatisticsDrugs and CrimeHeroinMotor Vehicle TheftRobbery (Australia) |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Business, Corruption and Crime in Albania: The impact of bribery and other crime on private enterprise Summary: This survey of private businesses in Albania reveals that corruption and other forms of crime are a great hindrance to private enterprise and have a negative effect on private investment. A significant percentage of businesses pay bribes to public officials repeatedly over the course of the year. Businesses in the Accommodation and Transportation sectors are those most affected by bribery, followed by businesses in the Construction sector. The public officials with the highest risk of bribery in interactions with businesses are police officers, customs officers, tax/revenues officers, municipal or provincial officers and land registry officers. While indicators of corruption perceptions are undoubtedly useful for raising awareness, this survey measures the actual experience of corruption and crime through representative sample surveys of businesses in order to provide a more realistic, evidence-based assessment of corruption and crime affecting the business sector. In so doing it focuses on the extent and pattern of bribery by businesses from five different sectors (accounting for over 83.5 per cent of all businesses in Albania) in their frequent interactions with the public administration. According to the survey, of all the businesses that had contact with a public official in the 12 months prior to the survey 15.7 per cent paid a bribe to a public official. The average prevalence of business bribery in Albania is slightly lower than the share of ordinary citizens (19.3 per cent) who experienced the same in UNODC's 2011 general population survey. The examination of the experience of businesses that pay bribes to public officials underlines the fact that corruption plays a role in the daily business of many companies. Bribe-paying businesses pay an average of 4.6 bribes per year, or about one bribe every eleven weeks. The prevalence of bribery is higher among small (10 to 49 employees) businesses than among businesses of other sizes. Half of all the bribes paid to public officials by businesses in Albania are paid in cash (50 per cent), followed by the giving of food and drink (24.4 per cent) in exchange for an illicit "favour" by the public official and the provision of other goods not produced by the company (22.8 per cent). When bribes are paid in cash, the mean amount paid per bribe is 53,000 Lek, or the equivalent of 904 EUR-PPP. As for which party actually broaches the subject of kickbacks, in 22.7 per cent of all bribery cases the payment of a bribe is offered by a representative of the business without a prior request being made, whereas in almost two thirds (63.6 per cent) of cases payment is either explicitly (17.1 per cent) or implicitly (38.2 per cent) requested by the public official or paid after a third-party request (8.3 per cent). The most common purposes for paying bribes cited by businesses is to "speed up business-related procedures" (39.1 per cent of all bribes), "making the finalization of a procedure possible" (16.8 per cent), "receiving better treatment" (7.2 per cent), "reducing the cost of a procedure" (6.6 per cent) and "receiving information" (2.8 per cent). At the same time, almost one out of seven (13.5 per cent) bribes paid serve no specific immediate purpose for the businesses paying them, suggesting that these are "sweeteners" given to public officials to "groom" them for future interactions in the interest of the company. Only 2.2 per cent of the businesses who paid bribes had reported bribery incidents in the 12 months prior to the survey to official authorities in Albania, which suggests that businesses often feel obliged to participate in bribery. This is also reflected in the main reasons cited for not reporting bribery: "giving gifts to public officials is common practice" (36.2 per cent) and "it is pointless to report it as nobody would care" (23.6 per cent). Bribery in the private sector not only comprises bribes paid by businesses to public officials, it also takes place between businesses themselves in order to secure business transactions. Though lower than the prevalence of bribery between the private and public sector, at 3.7 per cent the prevalence of business-to-business bribery indicates that the practice does exist in Albania. This type of corruption is not to be confused with normal marketing or public relations activities, in that it specifically aims, through illegal means, to breach the integrity of the bribe-taker in exchange for a bribe. Less than 0.1 per cent of bribe-paying bribes in the survey reported such business-to business bribery incidents to relevant authorities. Some 3.3 per cent of business representatives decided not to make a major investment in the 12 months prior to the survey due to the fear of having to pay bribes to obtain requisite services or permits, thus the impact of bribery on business activity can be substantial. The consequences of other more conventional crimes on a business's property and economic activities can also be considerable, both in terms of direct costs stemming from physical damage and indirect costs in the form of insurance premiums, security expenditure and lost investment opportunities. For instance, 5.8 per cent of businesses in Albania fall victim to burglary in a year and such businesses are victimized an average of 1.9 times in that period. The annual prevalence rate for fraud by outsiders (4.8 per cent) in the private sector is also significant, as is the average number of times businesses affected fall victim to this crime (2.8). The prevalence rate of vandalism is 1.6 per cent, with businesses being victimized an average of 1.6 times a year. In addition, the prevalence rate of motor vehicle theft (MVT) is 0.5 per cent of all car owning businesses, with victims suffering an average of 1.6 incidents. Moreover, over the past 12 months 0.5 per cent of all businesses in Albania fell victim to extortion, a crime that can be linked to organized criminal groups. In marked contrast to corruption, a larger share of conventional crimes (on average, 49.3 per cent for five crime types) is reported to the police by businesses in Albania. While the majority of business representatives (67.7 per cent) consider that the crime risk for their company has remained stable in comparison to the previous 12 months, around one in twelve (8.6 per cent) think it is on the increase and 19.5 per cent on the decrease. The fear of crime plays an important role in the decision-making process of business leaders when it comes to making major investments. Although there are some differences by economic sector, on average 4.4 per cent of the entrepreneurs in Albania state that they did not make a major investment in the previous 12 months due to the fear of crime. Yet while about 88.8 per cent of businesses in Albania use at least one protective security system against crime, only 18.5 per cent have any kind of insurance against the economic cost of crime. Together corruption and other forms of crime place a considerable burden on economic development in Albania. Putting in place more and better targeted measures for protecting businesses against crimes, as well as for preventing corruption (such as effective internal compliance measures and other policies concerning corruption) could make that burden considerably lighter. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2014. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2014 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/corruption/Albania_Business_Corruption_2013_EN.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Albania URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/corruption/Albania_Business_Corruption_2013_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 132258 Keywords: Bribes Crimes Against Businesses Financial CrimesFraudMotor Vehicle TheftPublic Corruption |
Author: Plecas, Darryl Title: Why the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) Summary: Since 2003, auto theft has decreased substantially across Canada (Wallace, 2003; Dauvergne and Turner, 2010). In fact, auto theft has had the largest rate of decline in police-reported crime trends with a decrease of 17,000 auto thefts from 2008 to 2009 (Dauvergne and Turner, 2010). Still, over the past decade, British Columbia, and in particular the city of Surrey, was listed among the jurisdictions with the highest auto theft rates in the country (Wallace, 2003). Specifically, in British Columbia, approximately 40,000 vehicles were stolen in 2003, mostly from the Greater Vancouver area (IMPACT, no date b). However, between 2003 and 2009, the number of vehicles stolen in British Columbia decreased by 55%, a decrease mainly attributed to the targeting of chronic offenders, the courts awarding harsher sentences to convicted auto thieves, and more auto theft prevention tactics employed by the makers and users of motor vehicles (IMPACT, no date c ). One of the main policing strategies to prevent and respond to auto theft in British Columbia has been IMPACT, or the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team. Specialized police auto theft investigators from municipal police departments and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) throughout the province staff the unit. Two main initiatives of relevance to this discussion are (1) the Bait Car program which uses police owned vehicles left in high theft areas as decoys to be stolen by auto thieves and (2) a specialized Enforcement team to target known auto thieves. However, even with the recent successes of police, technological advances to combat auto theft, such as the increasing installation of immobilizers, and the substantial general reductions in auto theft worldwide, there still remains the need for police and academics to understand the motivations behind auto theft and the characteristics of auto thieves. There is debate in the research literature about who commits auto theft and for what reasons. One perspective holds that auto theft in British Columbia is commonly committed by joyriding youth aged 12 to 17 years old (Fleming et al., 1994; Wallace, 2003; Fleming, Brantingham, & Brantingham, 1994). Other researchers contend that auto theft in British Columbia is overwhelmingly committed by adult males with lengthy criminal histories for the purposes of reselling or exporting the stolen cars, using the cars in the commission of another crime, or for transportation purposes (Garis et al., 2007; Zapotichny, 2003; McCormick, Plecas, & Cohen, 2008; Wallace, 2003; IMPACT, no date b). One study examining auto theft and vehicle recovery in British Columbia identified transportation as a leading cause of auto theft in the Fraser Valley (McCormick, Plecas, & Cohen, 2007). Considering this more recent academic research and the various pronouncements of law enforcement agencies throughout the province, it appears that auto theft in British Columbia is much more likely to be committed by seasoned criminals stealing vehicles for transportation or crime commission. These findings are important because auto theft rates continue to decline due to technological advances, but will eventually level off to the point that this offence is committed almost exclusively by offenders to facilitate the commission of other offences, for organized crime, or for transportation. Given this, the role of police initiatives, such as IMPACT, are extremely important in both reducing the success of seasoned or known to police auto thieves and to deter the more 'casual' auto thief. However, this assumption only holds if IMPACT has a measurable effect on the overall auto theft rate by effectively targeting chronic or prolific auto thieves. To assess these assumptions, the authors analyzed data associated to all 260 Bait Car and 450 Enforcement arrests by IMPACT between 2005 and 2008 and compared these cases to a random sample of 75 RCMP auto theft arrests in British Columbia per year over the same time period (n = 300). As demonstrated in Table 1, the demographic profiles and criminal history of auto thieves arrested by IMPACT initiatives were essentially the same as those arrested by regular police activity. Regardless of the method by which an offender was identified and arrested, the typical auto thief tended to be an adult male (approximately 80% of the time) with a lengthy criminal record (approximately 9 years). Moreover, at least half of auto thieves could be classified as repeat, if not chronic, offenders. This finding suggests that, unlike the claim of some researchers that auto theft remains the domain of young joyriders, the typical auto thief in British Columbia is an adult with a long history of diverse criminality. Details: Burnaby, BC, CAN: BC Centre for Social Responsibility and University of the Fraser Valley, Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research, 2014. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2014 at: http://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/ccjr/reports-and-publications/Why_IMPACT.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/ccjr/reports-and-publications/Why_IMPACT.pdf Shelf Number: 133033 Keywords: Automobile Theft (Canada)JoyridingMotor Vehicle Theft |
Author: Linden, Rick Title: Making communities safer : lessons learned combatting auto theft in Winnipeg. Summary: In Winnipeg, auto theft was once such a serious problem that leaders recognized conventional approaches to policing and justice were insufficient. They established a task force to tackle the growing problem using a new approach called evidence-based crime prevention that has produced tangible results. Similar approaches can be taken to combat property crime in other Canadian communities. This briefing outlines current Canadian crime trends; the impacts of crime on victims, the criminal justice system, and communities; misconceptions about reducing crime; and alternative approaches that can make communities safer. Evidence-based crime prevention holds great promise for making communities safer, because it focuses on the causes of crime. Successfully reducing crime requires that planners analyze crime and disorder problems, determine likely causes of those problems, and implement programs that address those causes. Unless interventions are substantial and sustained, there is almost no chance they will be effective. Details: Ottawa : Conference Board of Canada, 2008. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 18, 2014 at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/newsrelease/08-10-21/new_approach_to_crime_prevention_puts_the_brakes_on_auto_theft_rates_in_winnipeg.aspx Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/newsrelease/08-10-21/new_approach_to_crime_prevention_puts_the_brakes_on_auto_theft_rates_in_winnipeg.aspx Shelf Number: 134123 Keywords: Automobile Theft (Canada) Motor Vehicle TheftProperty Crimes |
Author: Weatherburn, Don Title: Young but not so restless: Trends in the age-specific rate of offending Summary: Aim: To describe and discuss trends in age-specific rates of offending for property crime, robbery and serious assault. Method: Descriptive statistics and graphical displays. Results: The number of people apprehended by police for property crime and robbery has fallen sharply since around 2001 and is much lower now than it was 15 years ago. The decline has been most pronounced among adolescent and young adult offenders (aged 15-20 years). The rate at which people in this age group were apprehended for robbery first rose and fell between 1995 and 2004 and then rose and fell (again) between 2005 and 2012. The rate at which 21-24 year olds were apprehended for robbery declined between 1999 and 2012. A similar but less pronounced pattern is seen for 25-29 year olds. The rate at which people were apprehended for serious assault remained fairly stable for all age groups up until around 2003. Thereafter the rate rose rapidly for 15-20 year olds, peaking at around 2008 and then falling from 2009 to 2012. The rate at which older age groups have been apprehended by police for assault remained fairly steady since 1999 but over the last three years has slowly declined. Conclusion: It is impossible to be certain but there is good reason to expect a continuation of the downward trend in rates of property crime and robbery in NSW. The future course of trends in serious assault will likely depend on whether the current fall in alcohol misuse by young people continues. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Paper No. 98: Accessed December 9, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb98.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb98.pdf Shelf Number: 134292 Keywords: AssaultsCrime TrendsMotor Vehicle TheftProperty Crimes (Australia)RobberyViolent Crime |
Author: Jalowiecki, P. Title: 2013 Motorcycle Theft and Recovery (through 03/24/2014) Report Summary: This ForeCAST Report analyzes motorcycle thefts for 2013 and recoveries for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) in the United States (U.S.), including the District of Columbia (D.C.). For the purposes of this report, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) motorcycle theft data for 2013 and recovery data for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) were analyzed by NCIC Make, Model, and Style fields. This report is divided into two sections. The first section analyzes motorcycle thefts in the U.S. for 2013 by Theft: year, month, state, city, county, make, and motorcycle year. The second section analyzes motorcycle recoveries in the U.S. for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) by Recovery: year, month, state, and make. The appendix at the end of this report includes the methodology of the data edits. Overall, there were a total of 45,367 motorcycle thefts in the U.S. in 2013. From 2012 to 2013, motorcycle thefts decreased 1.5% even though motorcycle sales increased. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council1 (MIC), there was a 1.5% increase in motorcycle sales between 2012 (452,386) and 2013 (459,298); a difference of 6,912 units. Motorcycle thefts occur more frequently in the warmer months, where July and August had the most motorcycle thefts, while December and February had less frequent thefts. Motorcycle thefts were highest in the state of California (6,637) in 2013. The state of Montana had the largest percent increase (37%) in motorcycle thefts from 2012 to 2013, while Nebraska had the largest percent decrease (29.2%) in motorcycle thefts from 2012 to 2013. Analysis by city found New York City, NY to have the highest count of thefts (1,001) in 2013, a 10.9% increase from 2012. There were 2,060 U.S. counties identified in 2013 with a motorcycle theft. The top 25 counties accounted for 28.9% of motorcycle thefts in 2013, with Los Angeles, CA ranking 1st. The highest county rate (per 10k) of motorcycle theft in 2013 was Fairfax City, VA (63.68). Motorcycle thefts for 2012 - 2013 had substantial change in counts for 43 counties with greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean. Additionally, motorcycle thefts for 2012 - 2013 had substantial change in rates (per 10k) for 23 counties with greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean. Analysis found Honda to be the manufacturer with the most thefts (8,557) in 2013. Manufacturer Taotao Group had the highest percent change (84.9%) for 2012-2013 motorcycle thefts. The 2007 Suzuki's had the highest count (1,012) of thefts in 2013. Of the 45,367 motorcycle thefts in 2013, 16,864 or 37.1% of the motorcycles were recovered from 01/01/2013 through 03/24/2014. In 2013, August (2,120) and July (1,898) were months with the largest number of motorcycle recoveries while January (451) and February (509) had the fewest motorcycle recoveries. In 2013, California had the most (2,399) recoveries statewide. The highest rate of recovery (37.5%) for top 10 theft states was in Washington for 2013. Analysis found Honda to be the manufacturer with the most (3,186) recoveries. Manufacturer Triumph had the highest rate (57.4%) of recovery in 2013. Details: Des Plaines, IL: National Insurance Crime Bureau, 2014. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 12, 2015 at: www.nicb.org Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: www.nicb.org Shelf Number: 134614 Keywords: Crime StatisticsMotor Vehicle TheftMotorcycle Theft (U.S.) |
Author: Victoria Police Title: Addressing profit-motivated vehicle theft in Victoria's separated parts and scrap metal industries Summary: 1. The inter-agency Task Force Discover was established to examine how the motor wrecking and scrap metal industries may facilitate profit-motivated vehicle theft (PMVT). Led by Victoria Police Crime Command, the Task Force completed a state-wide regulatory audit of motor wreckers and scrap metal dealers to reconcile anecdotal evidence that regulatory non-compliance by these businesses creates opportunities for PMVT. The Task Force aimed to develop an objective understanding of the extent of regulatory compliance among motor wreckers and scrap metal dealers and consider how levels of non-compliance related to unrecovered stolen vehicles in Victoria. 2. PMVT is a significant problem in Victoria. Data from the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council demonstrates there were 2,562 unrecovered stolen passenger and light commercial (PLC) vehicles in Victoria in 2013. The number of unrecovered PLC vehicles in Victoria has increased 21 per cent over the last five years due to the ability of vehicle thieves to profit from the growing domestic and international demand for spare parts and scrap metal. This demand has led to an expansion in the motor wrecking and scrap metal industries1, which now comprise a variety of players displaying an equally diverse range of capital resources, experience and levels of compliance with the law. Vehicle thieves can subsequently exploit the noncompliant tiers of industry to off-load, launder and sell stolen vehicles for the value of their separated parts and left over scrap metal. 3. Between September 2013 and June 2014, Task Force Discover audited a total of 432 motor wreckers and scrap metal dealers, estimated to represent approximately 90 percent of all operators in Victoria. The Task Force audited all commercial practices supporting the trade in used vehicles, spare parts and scrap metal derived from vehicles in order to: - collect intelligence on compliant and non-compliant commercial practices; - complete an authoritative assessment on the overall extent of regulatory compliance and consider implications that levels of non-compliance have for levels of PMVT in Victoria; and - improve the understanding of issues associated with the motor wrecking and scrap metal industries, including occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental protection issues. 4. The Task Force Discover audit focussed firstly on business licensing with a Motor Car Traders Licence (MCTL), business registration with Second-Hand Dealers Registration (SHDR) and record keeping practices for the trade in vehicles due to the implications that noncompliance in these areas has for PMVT. Secondly the audit focussed on occupational health and safety and environmental protection standards for the trade in parts and scrap due to the implications that non-compliance in these areas has for community harm. Task Force investigators (comprising Victoria Police detectives) made an assessment of the regulatory compliance of each business they attended. Of the 432 motor wreckers and scrap metal dealers audited: - 302 businesses or 70 per cent were assessed by Task Force investigators as either not holding the required authorisation to trade (i.e. the correct licence or registration) or being non-compliant to some degree with the conditions of their business licence or registration. This non-compliance included: - incomplete record keeping on customer identities and vehicle identifiers - failing to make notifications to the Written-Off Vehicles Register (WOVR) - failing to undertake criminal history checks and background screening of employees, and - failing to publicly display business licensing or registration details. - 199 businesses or 46 per cent were assessed as not holding the required authorisation to trade and of these: - 112 businesses operated without a MCTL or SHDR, but were assessed as requiring a MCTL - 12 businesses operated without a MCTL or SHDR, but were assessed as requiring a SHDR - 75 businesses traded only with a SHDR, but were assessed as requiring a MCTL. - 398 businesses or 92 per cent did not submit notifications to the WOVR. - 390 businesses or 90 per cent were assessed to be non-compliant to some degree with OHS and environmental protection regulations - 82 businesses or almost 20 per cent were referred for safety breaches deemed likely to cause injury; and - 41 businesses or 9 per cent were referred for moderate environmental breaches causing obvious and ongoing serious pollution to soil and waterways. Details: Melbourne: Victoria Police, 2014. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2015 at: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=108408 Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=108408 Shelf Number: 135419 Keywords: Automobile TheftMotor Vehicle TheftScrap Metal TheftStolen 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 TheftCar TheftCrime PreventionMotor Vehicle TheftVehicle CrimeVehicle Theft |
Author: DLA Piper Title: Review of Regulation of Separated Parts Markets in Australia Summary: This report examines the legislation that applies to the trade in separated motor vehicle parts throughout Australia. The report is prepared against a background of growing concern that existing regulatory arrangements are not optimally effective for combatting criminal involvement in the vehicle and vehicle parts trades. The current regulatory arrangements comprise a multiplicity of legislative schemes regulating motor car traders, vehicle repairers and second hand dealers. While other laws apply to the separated parts trades (including laws relating to written-off vehicles, and general consumer protection and criminal laws), the focus of this report is on the schemes that most closely regulate the conduct of persons carrying on business of buying and selling used vehicle parts. Most of these schemes are licensing schemes. Persons must hold the appropriate licences in order to carry on the business. To do so they must meet various criteria to show they are fit and proper persons. They must continue to meet those criteria, and comply with licence conditions and other requirements or risk having their licence suspended or cancelled. The basic model is similar in all jurisdictions. However, the legislation is far from being uniform or consistent. Different schemes have different regulatory objectives. The extent to which they apply to the trade in vehicle parts varies considerably. In some jurisdictions, persons dealing in vehicle parts are regulated as motor traders and in others as general second hand dealers. Licensing criteria differ, as do the conditions and requirements that apply to the conduct of the business. In some jurisdictions the trade in separated parts is subject to stringent and extensive regulatory controls while in others it is effectively unregulated. In summary, the position in each of the jurisdictions appears to be: - New South Wales is the only jurisdiction with legislation specifically targeting both vehicle repairers and motor traders operating as auto dismantlers and motor vehicle reconstructors. - Victoria. The trade in whole vehicles, including dismantled vehicle shells, is regulated under the motor dealer legislation while the trade in vehicle parts and accessories is regulated under the second hand dealers legislation. - Queensland. Persons who break up or re-assemble vehicles are required to be licensed as motor dealers while suppliers of separated parts are regulated as second hand dealers. - South Australia. Traders in complete and working vehicles are regulated under the motor dealers legislation while those involved in the trade in wrecked vehicles, vehicle shells and vehicle spares are regulated as second hand dealers. - Western Australia. Licensing requirements apply to persons who dismantle whole vehicles and to repairers who purchase separated parts for repair work. Persons who trade solely in separated vehicle parts appear to be unregulated. - Tasmania. Second hand motor dealers are required to be licensed as motor dealers and second-hand dealers. Vehicle dismantlers and parts sellers must notify police under the second-hand dealer legislation. - Australian Capital Territory. Vehicle dismantlers and constructors who sell, buy or exchange separated parts are licensed under motor repairer legislation, but intermediaries in the supply of separated vehicle parts appear to be unregulated. - Northern Territory. Persons trading in whole vehicles are required to hold a motor dealers licence, although motor wreckers appear not to be. Persons who buy, sell or exchange second hand parts are required to hold a second hand dealers licence. In this report we outline the main elements of the State and Territory schemes, based on a review of the relevant legislation. This analysis indicates that New South Wales has, particularly in its Motor Dealers Act 1974, the most robust licensing regime. Nevertheless, it is possible that the current uneven and inconsistent regulatory coverage is providing opportunities for criminal involvement in the separated parts trades. If that is so, there may be a case for nationally consistent regulatory reform. Further research is needed about the impact of the current patchwork approach, to assess whether there would be net benefits in a national regulatory approach. The report then considers the legislative mechanisms available to regulatory agencies under the present schemes. It looks at how the different legislative frameworks set out controls over the right to carry on second hand parts related businesses, the powers available for monitoring and overseeing those businesses, the penalties and sanctions available for operating outside the scheme and for breaching scheme requirements and the compliance and enforcement powers available to deal with breaches. Because the legislative schemes are very diverse, this analysis is necessarily high level. It also tends to focus on the provisions which appear to provide the most effective and robust set of regulatory controls, the majority of which are to be found in NSW legislation. The final part of the report looks at mechanisms in other regulatory environments that may be able to be adopted or adapted to improve the effectiveness of regulation of the separated parts market. This analysis proceeds from consideration of two key concepts which underpin many contemporary regulatory strategies: - an enforcement pyramid of progressively more severe interventions to enable regulators to take action that responds appropriately and cost effectively to non-compliant behaviour; and - a chain of responsibility liability model, which imposes a legal responsibility on all parties with the motive and/or capacity to influence compliance outcomes. In this context we describe a range of interventions and orders that may be applied to the regulation of the separated parts market, including civil penalties, administrative improvement and prohibition notices, court based directions and interventions, forfeiture and commercial benefits penalties, prohibition and industry exclusion and directors and officers liability for corporate fault. The focus of this discussion is on legislative compliance and enforcement measures. However, it must be recognised that these are only a part of an overall compliance framework. Co-operative engagement with the regulated entities, clearly articulated and consistently followed intervention policies and sufficient skilled and properly resourced enforcement personnel are also critical for effective regulation of any business activity. Details: North Melbourne, VIC: National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 23, 2016 at: http://carsafe.com.au/assets/ModernisingRegulatoryRegimesDLAPiper.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://carsafe.com.au/assets/ModernisingRegulatoryRegimesDLAPiper.pdf Shelf Number: 138789 Keywords: Automobile Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Scrap Metal Theft Stolen Vehicles |