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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri

Time: 12:17 pm

Results for property crime

55 results found

Author: Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission

Title: Organised Property Crime Markets in Queensland: A Strategic Assessment

Summary: The purpose of this strategic assessment is to describe the nature and extent of organized property crime markets in Queensland. Organized property crime is defined as a criminal conspiracy involving repeated theft and subsequent receiving of high-value property by a number of people in a criminal network. The property crime market refers to the acquisition and subsequent disposal of stolen property.

Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2009. 47p.

Source: Crime Bulletin Series, No. 9

Year: 2009

Country: Australia

URL:

Shelf Number: 116370

Keywords:
Organized Crime
Property Crime
Stolen Goods

Author: Moon, Debbie

Title: Acquisitive Crime and Plastic Card Fraud: Findings from the 2008/09 British Crime Survey. Supplementary Volume 3 to Crime in England and Wales 2008/09

Summary: Acquisitive crime refers to a group of offenses whose similarity lies in the nature of the crime, i.e., the acquisition of property. This bulletin presents frindings from addition analyses on respondents' experience of acquisitive crime and plastic card fraud based on the 2008/09 British Crime Survey.

Details: London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2010. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource; Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08/10

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 118733

Keywords:
British Crime Survey
Credit Card Fraud
Crime Statistics (U.K.)
Property Crime

Author: Best, Colin

Title: Laptop Theft in Commercial Buildings: 2007 Survey

Summary: "4,718 laptops have been reported stolen to the Calgary Police Service in Calgary, Alberta, Canada between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007. Using a straight replacement cost estimate of $2,000.00 per unit places the losses of at more than $9 million dollars. If one was to use the FBI/CSI cost of $35,000.00 per average incident, when taking into account lost information and all other associated costs, it increases dramatically to $165 million dollars. The economic impact of these stolen laptops, regardless of which dollar value used, is staggering. In 2007 there were 1,550 laptops reported stolen, 1,596 in 2006 and 1,572 in 2005. Following up on the 2005 and 2006 surveys, BOMA Calgary Public Safety Committee members continued to capture data from January 1 through December 31, 2007. Data from 90 incidents representing 145 stolen items: 124 laptops, 19 LCD projectors, one digital camera and one theft of $500.00 cash make up the content of this report. The BOMA group collected data on 50% more incidents in 2007 than in 2006. This report has been divided into two parts. Part I provides an overview of the analyzed data while Part II provides security recommendations. Appendix 1 outlines “25 Techniques of Situational Prevention to Reduce Laptop Theft” private security, law enforcement and business can review to determine their appropriateness to be used. Appendix 2 displays a “Tenant Lobby Checklist” which can be conducted by those interested in identifying weaknesses on individual tenant floors."

Details: Calgary, Alberta, Canada: BOMA Calgary Public Safety Committee, 2008. 33p.

Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 17, 2010 at: http://www.boma.ca/Surveys/2007LaptopTheftSurvey.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.boma.ca/Surveys/2007LaptopTheftSurvey.pdf

Shelf Number: 114754

Keywords:
Laptop Theft (Canada)
Property Crime
Theft

Author: Fitzgerald, Jacqueline

Title: Trands in Property and Illicit Drug Crime Around the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross: An Update

Summary: The Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) opened in Kings Cross in May 2001. This paper examines whether there have been (a) increases in the volume of robbery, property crime and drug offences in Kings Cross Local Area Command, or (b) increases in the proportion of Kings Cross drug offences occurring in the immediate vicinity of the MSIC, which could be attributed to the MSIC. The volume of crime was indicated by the number of criminal incidents of robbery, property crime and selected drug offences recorded by NSW Police between January 1999 and March 2010. We computed the trends in these offences in Kings Cross LAC from May 2001 to March 2010 and compared the results to the equivalent trends for the rest of Sydney SD. Spatial analyses were used to determine whether drug arrests were concentrated around the MSIC site. Police recorded incidents of possession and dealing of narcotics, cocaine and amphetamines were geocoded and mapped with the results inferred by descriptive statistics and visual inspection. With a few minor exceptions the incidence of robbery and property offences have fallen in the Kings Cross Local Area Command since 2001. This pattern is consistent with the rest of Sydney. Of the six drug offences considered, five have been stable in Kings Cross since 2001. The exception was cocaine possession which increased in both Kings Cross and the rest of Sydney. The spatial analyses showed no pattern of increased drug offences around the MSIC. No evidence was found that the MSIC has had a negative impact on robbery, property crime or drug offences in Kings Cross LAC.

Details: Sydney: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2010. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Crime and Justice Statistics Bureau Brief, Issue Paper no. 51: Accessed September 6, 2010 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/bb51.pdf/$file/bb51.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/bb51.pdf/$file/bb51.pdf

Shelf Number: 119745

Keywords:
Drug Abuse and Crime
Drug Offences
Drug Treatment
Property Crime
Robbery

Author: Welsh, Brandon P.

Title: Effects of Improved Street Lighting on Crime

Summary: Improved street lighting serves many functions and is used in both public and private settings. The prevention of personal and property crime is one of its objectives in public space, which is the main focus of this review. There are two main theories of why improved street lighting may cause a reduction in crime. The first suggests that improved lighting leads to increased surveillance of potential offenders (both by improving visibility and by increasing the number of people on the street) and hence to increased deterrence of potential offenders. The second suggests that improved lighting signals community investment in the area and that the area is improving, leading to increased community pride, community cohesiveness, and informal social control. The first theory predicts decreases in crime especially during the hours of darkness, while the second theory predicts decreases in crime during both daytime and nighttime. Results of this review indicate that improved street lighting significantly reduces crime. This lends support for the continued use of improved street lighting to prevent crime in public space. The review also found that nighttime crimes did not decrease more than daytime crimes. This suggests that a theory of street lighting focusing on its role in increasing community pride and informal social control may be more plausible than a theory focusing on increased surveillance and increased deterrence. Future research should be designed to test the main theories of the effects of improved street lighting more explicitly, and future light.

Details: Oslo: Campbell Collaboration, 2008. 54p.

Source: Internet Resource: Campbell Systematic Review, 2008:13: Accessed September 8, 2010 at: http://campbellcollaboration.org/lib/download/233/

Year: 2008

Country: International

URL: http://campbellcollaboration.org/lib/download/233/

Shelf Number: 119765

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Lighting
Offenses Against the Environment
Property Crime
Situational Crime Prevention
Street Crime
Third Party Policing
Wildlife Crime

Author: Johnson, Matthew

Title: Property Victimization of College Students

Summary: This report focuses on property victimization of college students. It is designed to examine the prevalence and frequency of property victimization; and explore the contexts in which it is most likely to occur. College students were selected because, according to previous studies, persons in their mid teens to mid 20s have a higher victimization rate than do other age groups. Non-violent property crimes including motor vehicle theft, theft of other items, burglary, and vandalism cost victims billions of dollars every year. Most of those property crime victimizations involve economic loss, most of which is never recovered. There has been little research on this kind of victimization among college students. Nevertheless, evidence shows that males and younger students are at greatest risk for experiencing some forms of property victimization, particularly theft. Data was collected from on an online survey of college students from seven public universities spread across the state of Texas. The overall racial/ethnic composition of the sample was comparable to the overall composition of all college students in the state.

Details: Huntsville, TX: Crime Victims' Institute, Criminal Justice Center, Sam Houston State University, 2009. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 6, 2010 at: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/CSVictimizationPropertyCrimeReportFinalfromPress.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://www.crimevictimsinstitute.org/documents/CSVictimizationPropertyCrimeReportFinalfromPress.pdf

Shelf Number: 119866

Keywords:
Burglary
Colleges and Universities
Property Crime
School Crime
Students, Crimes Against
Vandalism
Vehicle Theft
Victimization
Victims of Crime

Author: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2009

Summary: This bulletin presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of violent crime (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), property crime (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching) in the US. The report describes the year-to-year change from 2008 and trends for the 10-year period from 2000 through 2009. The National Criminal Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2009, 38,728 households and 68,665 individuals were interviewed twice for the NCVS. This report also includes data on the characteristics of victims of crime; estimates of intimate partner violence; and use of firearms and other weapons during the crime. Highlights include the following: An estimated 4.3 million violent crimes, 15.6 million property crimes, and 133,000 personal thefts were committed against U.S. residents age 12 or older in 2009; Violence against males, blacks, and persons age 24 or younger occurred at higher or somewhat higher rates than the rates of violence against females, whites, and persons age 25 or older in 2009; About half (49%) of all violent crimes and about 40% of all property crimes were reported to the police in 2009; and Violent crimes against females (53%) were more likely to be reported than violent crimes against males (45%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, October 2010: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv09.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv09.pdf

Shelf Number: 119995

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crimes
Violent Crime

Author: Wilson, Ronald E.

Title: A Theoretical Underpinning of Neighborhood Deterioration and the Onset of Long-Term Crime Problems From Foreclosures (Working Paper)

Summary: This paper proposes a theory of interaction between the social, economic and ecological settings that could produce long-term crime problems in neighborhoods that are suffering from concentrated foreclosures. It goes further and explores the possibility for accelerated neighborhood decline that may be difficult to suppress, and which may significantly shock the local economy. To do so, the authors draw on a wealth of research findings from sociology, economics, housing studies, and geography, to expand on a criminological base to make the case for their concern that concentrated foreclosures may ultimately create deviant places and severely impact the progress of the metropolitan areas within which they are set.

Details: Unpublished report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2010. 46p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230450.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230450.pdf

Shelf Number: 120017

Keywords:
Neighborhoods and Crime
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions

Author: Johnson, Ryan

Title: Striking at the Roots of Crime: The Impact of Social Welfare Spending on Crime During the Great Depression

Summary: The Great Depression of the 1930s led contemporaries to worry that people hit by hard times would turn to crime in their efforts to survive. Franklin Roosevelt argued that the unprecedented and massive expansion in relief efforts “struck at the roots of crime” by providing subsistence income to needy families. After constructing a panel data set for 81 large American cities for the years 1930 through 1940, we estimate the impact of relief spending by all levels of government on crime rates. The analysis suggests that a ten percent increase in relief spending during the 1930s lowered property crime by roughly 1.5 percent. By limiting the amount of free time for relief recipients, work relief was more effective than direct relief in reducing crime. More generally, our results indicate that social insurance, which tends to be understudied in economic analyses of crime, should be more explicitly and more carefully incorporated into the analysis of temporal and spatial variations in criminal activity.

Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2007. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series; Working Paper 12825: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w12825.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: United States

URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w12825.pdf

Shelf Number: 120070

Keywords:
Economics
Property Crime
Social Welfare
Spatial Analysis
Unemployment

Author: Marie, Olivier

Title: Police and Thieves in the Stadium: Measuring the (Multiple) Effects of Football Matches on Crime

Summary: During large sporting events criminal behaviour may impact on criminal behaviour via three main channels: (i) fan concentration, (ii) self incapacitation, and (iii) police displacement. In this paper I exploit information on football (soccer) matches for nine London teams linked to detailed recorded crime data at the area level to empirically estimate these different effects. My findings show that only property crime significantly increases in the communities hosting football matches but that they experience no changes in violent offences. These results are robust to controlling for a large number of game type and outcome characteristics. There is no evidence of temporal displacement of criminal activity. Our conceptual model suggests that the away game attendance effect on crime is due to voluntary incapacitation of potential offenders. I argue that the police displacement effect of hosting a match increases property crime by 7 percentage point for every extra 10,000 supporters.

Details: London: Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2010. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: CEP Discussion Paper No. 1012: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1012.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1012.pdf

Shelf Number: 120292

Keywords:
Hooliganism
Property Crime
Sporting Events
Sports Violence

Author: Han, Lu

Title: Economic Analyses of Crime in England and Wales

Summary: This thesis includes three empirical studies detecting the determinants of crime in England and Wales. We firstly apply time series analyses to look for cointegrating relationships between property crimes and unemployment as well as law enforcement instruments. We extend our study by employing panel data and corresponding techniques to control for area-specific fixed effects as well as the endogeneity of law enforcement variables. In our third study, we allow crime rate to have spatial spillover effect, in other words, the crime rate in one area is affected by, in addition to its local crime-influential factors, the crime rates and crime-related factors in its neighbouring areas. We demonstrate this result by constructing a theoretical model and testing it by applying spatial analysis regressions. Our main findings can be summarized as follows: First, property crimes are better explained by economic models of crime than violent crimes. Second, law enforcement instruments always have negative effects on both property and violent crimes, indicating their deterrence and incapacitation effects as predicted. Third, social-economic factors, such as unemployment and income level, have two effects on property crimes: opportunity and motivation. Their net effects on property crime rates depend on the type of crime as well as the time period being examined. And finally, there is indeed spillover effect existing in crime rate. For burglary, theft and handling, and robbery, the crime rate in one area is positively and significantly correlated with the crime rates from its neighbouring areas. Furthermore, the crime rate of sexual offences of one area is negatively related to such crime rates in neighbouring areas.

Details: Birmingham, UK: Department of Economics, Birmingham Business School, College of Social Science, University of Birmingham, 2009. 261p.

Source: Internet Resource: Doctoral Thesis: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/584/3/han10PhD.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/584/3/han10PhD.pdf

Shelf Number: 120294

Keywords:
Economics of Crime
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Status
Unemployment and Crime

Author: Han, Lu

Title: Understanding the Determinants of Property and Violent Crime in England and Wales: A Panel Data Analysis

Summary: We examine various determinants of property and violent crimes by using police force area level (PFA) data on England and Wales over the period 1992-2008. Our list of potential determinants includes two law enforcement variables namely crime-specific detection rate and prison population, and various socio-economic variables such as unemployment rate, real earnings, proportion of young people and Gini Coefficient. By adopting a fixed effect dynamic GMM estimation methodology we attempt to address the potential bias that arises from the presence of time-invariant unobserved characteristics of a PFA and the endogeneity of several regressors. There is a significant positive effect of own-lagged crime rate. The own-lagged effect is stronger for property crime, on an average, than violent crime. We find that, on an average, higher detection rate and prison population leads to lower property and violent crimes. This is robust to various specifications. However, socio-economic variables with the exception of real earnings play a limited role in explaining different crime types.

Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1773913

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1773913

Shelf Number: 121220

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions
Violent Crime (U.K.)

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:
Burglary
Economics and Crime
Larceny
Motor Vehicle Theft
Property Crime
Robbery
Unemployment and Crime123092

Author: Madensen, Tamara D.

Title: The Impact of Foreclosures on Neighborhood Crime in Nevada, 2006-09

Summary: This State Data Brief provides an examination of foreclosures in Nevada and the impact of these events on crime in Nevada neighborhoods. The distribution of foreclosures across neighborhoods, the characteristics of high foreclosure neighborhoods, and the impact of foreclosures on neighborhood crime between 2006 and 2009 are examined. The findings and related policy implications are discussed in light of theoretical frameworks that help to explain the observed outcomes.

Details: Las Vegas, NV: Center for Analysis of Crime Statistics, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2011. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: State Data Brief: Accessed January 20, 2012 at: http://cacs.unlv.edu/SDBs/Foreclosures/Foreclosures%20in%20Nevada%202006-09%20v4.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://cacs.unlv.edu/SDBs/Foreclosures/Foreclosures%20in%20Nevada%202006-09%20v4.pdf

Shelf Number: 123685

Keywords:
Economics and Crime
Housing Foreclosures (Nevada)
Neighborhoods and Crime
Property Crime

Author: Zeh, Jon M.

Title: Decentralizing police detectives: Increasing efficiency of property crime investigations

Summary: Beginning in November, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department implemented organizational changes to the Financial / Property Crimes Bureau by decentralizing all property crime detectives. Although no previous research was found on the decentralization of police detectives specifically, there is existing research on similar concepts that suggest at least two benefits of decentralizing police detectives: improved communication with patrol officers and increased efficiency of investigations. With these benefits in mind, the current study examines the following hypotheses: hypothesis 1: decentralizing property crime detectives will lead to improved quality of communication between property crime detectives and patrol officers; hypothesis 2: decentralizing property crime detectives will lead to greater efficiency of property crime investigations. This research will assume a quasi-experimental design with the Southeast Area Command (SEAC) being the experimental group by having detectives decentralized to an area command level and the Southwest Area Command (SWAC) being the comparison group, their detectives remaining at the centralized bureau level. The experimental iii condition began on November 1, 2007 and continued for 8 months, terminating on June 30, 2008 when SWAC was decentralized, ending the department wide reorganization and decentralization of property crimes detectives. Secondary data in the form of a survey that was administered to patrol officers and performance indicators from the area command and detective levels were received from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. These data were used to evaluate the impact that the decentralization had on communication between detectives and officers and the efficiency of property crime investigations.

Details: Las Vegas, NV: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2009. 54p.

Source: UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones, Paper 1153: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2012 at http://digitalcommons.library.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2155&context=thesesdissertations

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://digitalcommons.library.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2155&context=thesesdissertations

Shelf Number: 125041

Keywords:
Criminal Investigations
Police Communication
Police Investigations
Property Crime

Author: Teh, Bing-ru

Title: Do Liquor Stores Increase Crime and Urban Decay? Evidence from Los Angeles

Summary: Liquor stores are a common sight in many distressed neighborhoods. But does the presence of liquor stores actually cause crime and urban decay – as suggested by situational models of criminal activity – or are liquor stores more likely to open in declining neighborhoods? In this paper, I use administrative data on the locations of alcohol outlets in the city of Los Angeles, merged with detailed incident crime reports and property transactions, to evaluate the effects of alcohol outlet openings and closings on local crime rates and property values. I specify an event-study framework to measure the changes in violent and property crimes just after the opening and closing of outlets. Both types of crime increase following an outlet opening, with larger effects in the immediate vicinity of the new outlet. The overall impact of new outlet openings is driven by effects in low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods: openings in high-SES neighborhoods only have small effects on property crime. Outlet closings have smaller impacts, on average, although there is some indication that the closing of an outlet in a low-SES neighborhood reduces crime. A parallel analysis of residential property transaction values find that outlets located in low-SES neighborhoods are seen as a disamenity, whereas outlets located in high-SES neighborhoods are valued by homeowners. Overall, it appears that additional alcohol outlets – especially in lower-SES neighborhoods – contribute to both crime and urban decay.

Details: Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkely, 2007. 54p.

Source: Job Market Paper: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2012 at http://websv03b.colgate.edu/portaldata/imagegallerywww/2050/ImageGallery/teh_jobmktpaper.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: United States

URL: http://websv03b.colgate.edu/portaldata/imagegallerywww/2050/ImageGallery/teh_jobmktpaper.pdf

Shelf Number: 125085

Keywords:
Liquor Stores
Neighborhoods and Crime (Los Angeles)
Property Crime
Violent Crime

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: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2011

Summary: This report presents 2011 estimates of rates and levels of criminal victimization in the U.S. This bulletin includes violent victimization (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault) and property victimization (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft). It describes the annual change from 2010 and analyzes 10-year trends from 2002 through 2011. The bulletin includes estimates of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and injury and use of weapons in violent victimization. It also describes the characteristics of victims. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2011, about 79,800 households and 143,120 persons were interviewed for the NCVS.

Details: Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 15p.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf

Shelf Number: 127253

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crimes
Violent Crime

Author: Victoria. Sentencing Advisory Council

Title: Sentencing Trends in the Higher Courts of Victoria 2007–08 to 2011–12; Handling Stolen Goods

Summary: This Sentencing Snapshot describes sentencing outcomes1 for the offence of handling stolen goods and details the age and gender2 of people sentenced for this offence in the County Court of Victoria between 2007–08 and 2011–12.3 Except where noted otherwise, the data represent sentences imposed at first instance rather than sentences imposed following appeal. A person is guilty of handling stolen goods if he or she dishonestly receives or deals with goods, and knows or believes them to be stolen. Handling stolen goods is an indictable offence that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment4 and/or a fine of 1800 penalty units.5 Indictable offences are more serious offences triable before a judge and jury in the County or Supreme Court. Handling stolen goods can also be tried summarily by the Magistrates’ Court if the property involved meets certain criteria,6 the Magistrates’ Court considers it appropriate and the defendant consents.7 Handling stolen goods was the principal offence8 in 0.4% of cases sentenced in the higher courts between 2007–08 and 2011–12.

Details: Melbourne: Sentencing Advisory Council, 2013. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Sentencing Snapshot No. 136: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: https://sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sites/sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/files/snapshot_136_sentencing_trends_for_handling_stolen_goods_in_the_higher_courts_of_victoria_march_2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Australia

URL: https://sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sites/sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/files/snapshot_136_sentencing_trends_for_handling_stolen_goods_in_the_higher_courts_of_victoria_march_2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 128174

Keywords:
Fencing Stolen Goods
Property Crime
Sentencing (Victoria, Australia)
Stolen Property

Author: Racovita, Mihaela

Title: In Search of Lasting Security: An Assessment of Armed Violence in Nepal

Summary: This study, conducted together with its Kathmandu-based partner, Interdisciplinary Analysts, presents original research based on a national household survey covering more than 3,000 respondents as well as focus group discussions and key informant interviews in Nepal’s Hill and Terai regions, as well as data collected from official, non-governmental, and international sources. Since the end of the conflict Nepal has seen fluctuation in the incidence and severity of violence, with relative calm punctuated by bouts of violence in response to political events. While data shows several improvements in the security landscape, Nepal continues to be plagued by high volatility and uncertainty related to political and ethnic crises. The Special Report finds that: Despite persistent volatility, a majority of survey respondents were confident that security situation had recently improved in their area. Property crime was identified as the most common concern, across surveyed areas. Those with a steady source of income, or those carrying money or valuables were more likely to fall victims. Urban spaces and the Kathmandu Valley display higher concentrations of insecurity. Armed violence in Nepal is generally low-tech, using crude or makeshift weapons, such as bicycle chains or sticks, as well as traditional bladed weapons, improvised explosive devices, and home-made firearms. Based on self-reported and perceived ownership, between 41,000 and 84,000 households in the surveyed districts are estimated to own firearms. Overall police performance, accountability, and responsiveness were rated fairly high, with more than 80 per cent of respondents stating that they would seek help from the police in the event of an attack. However, many interviewees expressed concerns about police efficiency, citing lack of training, political interference, and a lack of standardized service as key issues.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2013. 104p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report May 2013: Accessed May 15, 2013 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR20-In-Search-of-Lasting-Security-NAVA.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Nepal

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR20-In-Search-of-Lasting-Security-NAVA.pdf

Shelf Number: 128731

Keywords:
Armed Violence
Gun Violence
Guns and Crime
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Bond, Brenda J.

Title: Lowell, Massachusetts, Smart Policing Initiative: Reducing Property Crime in Targeted Hot Spots

Summary: From 2007 through 2008, the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, experienced a 15 percent increase in property crime, driven by surges in car theft (12 percent), burglary (14 percent), and larceny (21 percent). Much of the increase was tied to drug offenders who committed crimes to support their addictions. The Lowell Smart Policing Initiative (SPI), funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), sought to address drug-related property crime through problem-oriented policing and the SARA model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment. A Steering Committee composed of department staff and researchers who were well versed in advanced problem solving led the Lowell SPI. In order to avoid some of the traditional problems with SARA implementation, the Lowell SPI team employed a more sophisticated problem-solving process that assessed the congruence or "fit" among the targeted crime problems and the different elements of the SPI strategy. As part of the analysis phase, the Lowell SPI team collaborated with the city Health Department to examine the background and history of all individuals who died as a result of a drug overdose in Lowell from 2005 through 2008. Results confirmed the strong link between drug use and property crime. The SPI team then identified 12 property crime hot spots across three sectors, most of which were near known drug markets. Lowell crime analysts identified comparison hot spots that were matched to targeted hot spots using a matched-pair design. Captains in each of the three sectors generated response plans which were discussed, modified, and monitored at the bi-weekly SPI Steering Committee meetings. Sector Captains also completed bi-weekly surveys which systematically captured the strategies and tactics that were employed in the targeted hot spots. The survey results documented a high degree of congruence between the targeted crime problems and the selected crime reduction strategies. Results from the assessment phase indicate that each sector experienced significant declines in property crime from the pre-intervention period (9/2009-10/2010) to the intervention period (9/2011-12/2012). These crime declines ranged from 16 to 19 percent, though specific hot spots experienced much larger drops in certain crime types (e.g., from 40-50 percent in some hot spots). In the East and West Sectors, the crime declines were notably different from crime patterns in the matched comparison hot spots. In the North Sector, crime declined significantly in both the targeted hot spots and the comparison hot spots. Taken together, these findings provide compelling evidence that the Lowell SPI led to substantial reductions in drug-related property crime. The Lowell SPI highlights the importance of accessing non-traditional data to extend the problem analysis process. The Lowell experience also demonstrates the importance of near-real time monitoring of the problem-solving model, with a focus on achieving alignment or fit between identified crime problems and response strategies. The emphasis on congruence between problems and responses can allow law enforcement agencies to avoid "shallow" problem solving, which has often emerged in problem-oriented policing projects and can limit the potential for successful crime reduction.

Details: Arlington, VA: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2014. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 11, 2014 at http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/SPILowellSpotlight.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/SPILowellSpotlight.pdf

Shelf Number: 132441

Keywords:
Crime Hot-Spots
Drug Abuse and Crime
Geospatial Analysis
Problem-Oriented Policing (Massachusetts)
Property Crime

Author: Freeman, Karen

Title: Understanding the relationship between crime victimisation and mental health: a longitudinal analysis of population data

Summary: Aim: To determine whether a change in crime victimisation status (from non-victim to victim) affects mental health. Method: Fixed effects models were used to examine the effect of physical violence and property crime victimisation in the past year on future mental health. The sample pooled 110,671 records from 16,187 persons aged 15 years or older who participated in at least two waves of the Australian Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) survey between 2002 and 2011. The analysis controlled for all time-stable factors as well as a wide range of dynamic variables known to be associated with mental health (i.e., partner status, area of residence, labour force status, financial prosperity, ability to raise funds in an emergency, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, general health, social networks and number of life events). Results: The analysis revealed that becoming a victim of violent crime results in a decrease in mental health. Females had a more pronounced decline in mental health after becoming a victim of violence compared with males. By contrast, there was no evidence that becoming a victim of property crime has a detectable impact on mental health for either females or males. Conclusion: Being a victim of violent crime has an adverse effect on mental health. This effect is apparent for both male and female victims, however there is a greater effect of violent crime on women's mental health.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, no. 177: Accessed June 18, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l2/cjb177.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l2/cjb177.pdf

Shelf Number: 132498

Keywords:
Gender
Longitudinal Study
Mental Health
Property Crime
Victimization
Victims of Crimes
Violent Crime

Author: Bignon, Vincent

Title: Stealing to Survive? Crime and Income Shocks in 19th Century France

Summary: Using local administrative data from 1826 to 1936, we document the evolution of crime rates in 19th century France and we estimate the impact of a negative income shock on crime. Our identification strategy exploits the phylloxera crisis. Between 1863 and 1890, phylloxera destroyed about 40% of French vineyards. We use the geographical variation in the timing of this shock to identify its impact on property and violent crime rates, as well as minor offences. Our estimates suggest that the phylloxera crisis caused a substantial increase in property crime rates and a significant decrease in violent crimes.

Details: Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), 2014. 60p.

Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 8531: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8531.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: France

URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8531.pdf

Shelf Number: 133953

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Economics and Crime (France)
Historical Study
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime

Author: Sutherland, Rachel

Title: Motivations and substance use amongst property and violent offenders: Findings from the 2008 & 2013 Illicit Drug Reporting System

Summary: Key findings - The prevalence of property crime remained stable across 2008 & 2013, with 18% of PWID reporting that they had committed a property offence in the month preceding interview. Violent crime remained low and stable at 4% and 3% respectively. - In both 2008 and 2013, the majority of property offenders reported being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol the last time they committed an offence (73% and 71% respectively). - In 2008, the largest proportion of drug-affected property offenders reported being under the influence of heroin (32%) and benzodiazepines (31%). Similarly, in 2013, they largely reported being under the influence of benzodiazepines (29%). - Property offenders most commonly reported that they had committed their last offence for financial reasons. - Amongst those who had committed a violent offence, almost three-quarters reported that they were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (73% respectively). - In 2008, the largest proportion of violent offenders reported being under the influence of alcohol (36%), followed by methamphetamine (29%). Similarly, in 2013, the largest proportion of violent offenders reported being under the influence of alcohol and heroin equally (32% respectively). - The largest proportion of violent offenders reported committing their last violent offence for 'opportunistic' reasons.

Details: Sydney: National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2014. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Drug Trends Bulletin: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSJuly2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSJuly2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 134056

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse and Crime (Australia)
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Comeau, Michelle

Title: Repeat and Near-Repeat Burglary Victimization in Rochester, NY. Literature Review: Burglary: The Criminal Act

Summary: In New York State a burglary has occurred when an offender, "...knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime therein1." While not a requirement of it, one common feature of burglary is theft. This paper represents the second in a series of papers focusing on repeat and near-repeat burglary victimization in Rochester, NY. The first paper (see: "Motivations to Commit Burglary and Target Selection") introduced general statistics on burglary rate and prevalence, as well as discussed offender motivation and target selection. In this present paper we turn attention to the commission of the burglary (entry, search pattern, and exit) as well as what types of items are stolen by offenders and what methods of disposal are utilized. This paper is not intended as a comprehensive review; instead, it provides a primer on this topic.

Details: Rochester, NY: Center for Public Safety Initiatives Rochester Institute of Technology, 2014. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: https://www.rit.edu/cla/criminaljustice/sites/rit.edu.cla.criminaljustice/files/docs/WorkingPapers/2014/Michelle%20RPD-LitReviewPaper2%20.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.rit.edu/cla/criminaljustice/sites/rit.edu.cla.criminaljustice/files/docs/WorkingPapers/2014/Michelle%20RPD-LitReviewPaper2%20.pdf

Shelf Number: 134057

Keywords:
Burglary
Property Crime
Repeat Victimization
Target Selection

Author: Munyo, Ignacio

Title: First-Day Criminal Recidivism

Summary: We find that on any given day the number of inmates released from incarceration significantly affects the number of offenses committed that day, and we name this "first-day recidivism." Our estimates are robust to a variety of alternative specifications. We run a series of placebo experiments that further support our causal interpretation of the results. We also find evidence that an increase in the amount of money received by prisoners at the time of their release significantly decreases first-day recidivism, and that first-day recidivism is restricted to crimes with a direct financial motivation. These findings suggest that our results are driven by liquidity constraints.

Details: Buenos Aires: Universidad de SanAndres, 2014. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2015 at: ftp://webacademicos.udesa.edu.ar/pub/econ/doc113.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Uruguay

URL: ftp://webacademicos.udesa.edu.ar/pub/econ/doc113.pdf

Shelf Number: 135334

Keywords:
Economics and Crime
Property Crime
Recidivism

Author: Goh, Derek

Title: An update of long-term trends in property and violent crime in New South Wales: 1990-2014

Summary: Aim: The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the rates of annual recorded incidents of 10 categories of property and violent crime for the period 1990 to 2014 in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Offence rates were calculated using criminal incident data from the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS) for the period 1995 to 2014, and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's recorded crime statistics report series for the period 1990 to 1994. Kendall's trend test was run on the 24 annual rates for each of the 10 offence categories. Results: Some categories of crime in NSW are now at the lowest recorded levels they have been for over 20 years. Comparing per capita rates of crime in 2014 with per capita rates in 1990, lower rates were found for: motor vehicle theft (79% lower), robbery with a firearm (76% lower), break and enter non-dwelling (73% lower), break and enter dwelling (55% lower), robbery without a weapon (50% lower), murder (42% lower) and robbery with a weapon not a firearm (40% lower). Three of the ten offence types analysed in this report were found to have recorded rates higher in 2014 than in 1990: sexual assault (132% higher), other sexual offences (96% higher) and assault (67% higher). Conclusion: In the period since 1990, assault and sexual assault rates recorded significant long term upward trends whilst the other eight offences analysed in this report were trending down or stable. The 2014 recorded sexual assault rate was marginally below the highest in that series (occurring in 2012) and the rate since 2000 has recorded a significant uptrend. Apart from sexual assault and other sexual offences, the remaining eight offence types recorded significant downtrends in recorded rates since 2000. The three robbery and three property crime series all recorded falls of more than 60 per cent since 2000.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2015. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2015 at: Issue Paper 104: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/BB/BB104.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/BB/BB104.pdf

Shelf Number: 135404

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics (Australia)
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Curry, Philip A.

Title: Crime, Apprehension and Clearance Rates: Panel Data Evidence from Canadian Provinces

Summary: The Becker (1968) model of crime establishes the importance of the probability of apprehension as a key factor in a rational individual's decision to commit a crime. In this respect, most empirical studies have used U.S. data to study the effects of more police officers on crime rates. We add to the relatively thin literature on the impacts of clearance rates, which we think is an equally important measure of the probability of apprehension. Our data are drawn from a panel of Canadian provinces from 1986-2005. Reduced form and IV estimates yield statistically significant elasticities of clearance rates, ranging from -0.2 to -0.36 from violent crimes and from -0.5 to -0.6 for property crimes. We think that these findings reflect the importance of productivity of the police force in terms of solving crimes and the possibility that hiring of police officers will not necessarily result in lower crime rates.

Details: Unpublished paper, 2013. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2336202

Year: 2013

Country: Canada

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2336202

Shelf Number: 135716

Keywords:
Arrest and Apprehension
Clearance Rates
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Ambrey, Christopher L.

Title: The life satisfaction approach to estimating the cost of crime: An individual's willingness-to-pay for crime reduction

Summary: This paper is motivated by the need to develop an improved model for estimating the intangible costs of crime. Such a model will assist policy makers and criminal justice researchers to compare the costs and benefits of crime control policies. We demonstrate how the life satisfaction approach may be used to measure an individual's willingness-to-pay for crime reduction. Results indicate that property crime in one's local area detracts from an individual's life satisfaction. On average, an individual is implicitly willing-to-pay $3,213 in terms of annual household income to decrease the annual level of property crime by one offence per 1000 residents in their local area. This equates to a per-capita willingness-to-pay of $1,236.

Details: Griffith University, Business School, 2012. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Papers No. 2013-01: Accessed July 13, 2015 at: https://www.melbourneinstitute.com/downloads/hilda/Bibliography/Working_Discussion_Research_Papers/2013/Ambrey_etal_-the-life-satisfaction-approach-to-estimating-the-cost-of-crime.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.melbourneinstitute.com/downloads/hilda/Bibliography/Working_Discussion_Research_Papers/2013/Ambrey_etal_-the-life-satisfaction-approach-to-estimating-the-cost-of-crime.pdf

Shelf Number: 136020

Keywords:
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Costs of Crime
Property Crime

Author: Goh, Derek

Title: An update of long-term trends in violent and property crime in New South Wales: 1990-2015

Summary: Aim: The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the rates of annual recorded incidents of 10 categories of property and violent crime for the period 1990 to 2015 in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Offence rates were calculated using criminal incident data from the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS) for the period 1995 to 2015, and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's recorded crime statistics report series for the period 1990 to 1994. Kendall's trend test was run on the 26 annual rates for each of the 10 offence categories. Results: Some categories of crime in NSW are now at the lowest recorded levels they have been for over 25 years. Comparing per capita rates of crime in 2015 with per capita rates in 1990, lower rates were found for: robbery with a firearm (86% lower); motor vehicle theft (80% lower); break and enter non-dwelling (75% lower); robbery without a weapon (60% lower); break and enter dwelling (58% lower); murder (56% lower) and robbery with a weapon not a firearm (53% lower). Three of the ten offence types analysed in this report were found to have recorded rates higher in 2015 than in 1990: sexual assault (131% higher); other sexual offences (102% higher) and assault (62% higher). Conclusion: In the period since 1990, assault and sexual assault rates recorded significant long term upward trends whilst the other eight offences analysed in this report were trending down or stable. The 2015 recorded sexual assault rate was slightly below the highest in that series (occurring in 2012) and the rate since 2000 has recorded a significant uptrend. Apart from sexual assault and other sexual offences, the remaining eight offence types recorded significant downtrends in recorded rates since 2000. The three robbery and three property crime series all recorded falls of more than 65 per cent since 2000.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2016. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Paper no. 115: Accessed April 28, 2016 at: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/report-an-update-of-long-term-trends-in-violent-and-property-crime-in-nsw-bb115.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Australia

URL: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/report-an-update-of-long-term-trends-in-violent-and-property-crime-in-nsw-bb115.pdf

Shelf Number: 138833

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics (Australia)
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Goda, Thomas

Title: Absolute Inequality and Violent Property Crime

Summary: Rational choice models argue that income inequality leads to a higher expected utility of crime and thus generates incentives to engage in illegal activities. Yet, the results of empirical studies do not provide strong support for this theory; in fact, Neumayer provides apparently strong evidence that income inequality is not a significant determinant of violent property crime rates when a representative sample is used and country specific fixed effects are controlled for. An important limitation of this and other empirical studies on the subject is that they only consider proportional income differences, even though in rational choice models absolute difference in legal and illegal incomes determine the expected utility of crime. Using the same methodology and data as Neumayer, but using absolute inequality measures rather than proportional ones, this paper finds that absolute income inequality is a statistically significant determinant of robbery and violent theft rates. This result is robust to changes in sample size and to different absolute inequality measures, which not only implies that inequality is an important correlate of violent property crime rates but also suggests that absolute measures are preferable when the impact of inequality on property crime is studied.

Details: Colombia: Center for Research in Economics and Finance (CIEF), 2016. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Center for Research in Economics and Finance (CIEF), Working Papers, No. 16-26: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2827788

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2827788

Shelf Number: 147907

Keywords:
Inequality
Poverty
Property Crime
Robbery
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Alzua, Maria Laura

Title: Workfare and Crime: Evidence for Argentina

Summary: This paper investigates the effect of introducing a massive workfare program on property crimes. In order to circumvent the endogeneity problem common to joint factors determining crime and demand for workfare we make use of instrumental variables. We exploit two special features. First, the program was assigned according to political criteria which were trying to attract provinces and/or counties who were aligned with the national government. Second, the program was grant in mid-2002 and closed afterwards, so there were no new-comers to the program. We use political affiliation of different level of governments as instrument for the number of workfare programs per capita and find that the program reduced property crime but had no effect on other kinds of crime. The paper represents a contribution to the crime literature, since this issue has not been explored. If workfare programs have an effect on crime, then the welfare effect is different from the one often calculated in the literature.

Details: Caracas, Venezuela: CAF DOCUMENTOS DE TRABAJO CAF WORKING PAPERS, 2011. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: CAF WORKING PAPERS N� 2011/05 : Accessed September 8, 2016 at: https://www.caf.com/media/3894/201105Alzua.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Argentina

URL: https://www.caf.com/media/3894/201105Alzua.pdf

Shelf Number: 140253

Keywords:
Economics and Crime
Employment and Crime
Property Crime
Public Welfare and Economic Assistance
Unemployment

Author: Cortes, Darwin

Title: Economic Shocks and Crime: Evidence from the Crash of Ponzi Schemes

Summary: In November 2008, Colombian authorities dismantled a network of Ponzi schemes, making hundreds of thousands of investors lose tens of millions of dollars throughout the country. Using original data on the geographical incidence of the Ponzi schemes, this paper estimates the impact of their break down on crime. We find that the crash of Ponzi schemes differentially exacerbated crime in affected districts. Confirming the intuition of the standard economic model of crime, this effect is only present in places with relatively weak judicial and law enforcement institutions, and with little access to consumption smoothing mechanisms such as microcredit. In addition, we show that, with the exception of economically-motivated felonies such as robbery, violent crime is not affected by the negative shock.

Details: Caracas, Venezuela: CAF (Development Bank of Latin America), 2016.

Source: Internet Resource: Working papers No. 2016/01: Accessed September 17, 2016 at: http://repository.urosario.edu.co/bitstream/handle/10336/11880/dt185.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Year: 2016

Country: Colombia

URL: http://repository.urosario.edu.co/bitstream/handle/10336/11880/dt185.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Shelf Number: 147940

Keywords:
Economics of Crime
Financial Crimes
Ponzi Schemes
Property Crime

Author: Biderman, Ciro

Title: Pax Monopolista and Crime: The Case of the Emergence of the Primeiro Comando da Capital in Sao Paulo

Summary: This paper documents a rare phenomenon: the consequence of the dominance of a single criminal gang in the city of Sao Paulo, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). Using unique data to identify entry in geographically well-delimited areas - the Favelas - we explore the timing of the expansion of geographical dominance to estimate the causal impact of its dominance on property and violent crime. Pax Monopolista caused a reduction in violent crime but no impact on property crime.

Details: Caracas, Venezuela: Development Bank of Latin America, 2014. 39p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 2014/03: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://scioteca.caf.com/bitstream/handle/123456789/712/paxmonopolista-crime-primeirocomandodacapital-saopaulo.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Year: 2014

Country: Brazil

URL: http://scioteca.caf.com/bitstream/handle/123456789/712/paxmonopolista-crime-primeirocomandodacapital-saopaulo.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Shelf Number: 140365

Keywords:
Favelas
Gang Violence
Gangs
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Galiani, Sebastian

Title: Crime and Durable Goods

Summary: Crime and the durability of goods are strongly connected issues. However, surprisingly, they have been studied separately. This paper explores the relationship between the production of durable goods and crime from a theoretical perspective and draws important conclusions for both topics. Crime affects the consumer and producer surplus and thus the behavior of consumers, firms, the market equilibrium, and, in turn, the social optimum. Lower durability of goods reduces the incentive to steal those goods, thus reducing crime. When crime is included in the standard framework of durable goods, even without considering the negative externalities of crime, perfect competition does not provide the optimal durability level. When considering different stealing technologies, perfect competition either over-produces durability or produces zero (minimum) durability. The monopolist under-produces durability regardless of the stealing technology considered. If crime externalities are taken into account, the socially optimal durability level is reduced and gets closer to that which prevails under monopoly. The model presented in this paper implies that the durability of goods, and the market structure for those goods, can be an effective instrument to reduce crime. In particular, making the durability of a good contingent upon that good being stolen is likely to increase welfare.

Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2016. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series, no. 22788: Accessed November 2, 2016 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w22788.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w22788.pdf

Shelf Number: 145005

Keywords:
Consumers
Property Crime
Stealing
Theft
Unemployment and Crime

Author: Ashby, Matthew

Title: Using Crime Science for Understanding and Preventing Theft of Metal from the British Railway Networks

Summary: Metal theft has emerged as a substantial crime problem, causing widespread disruption and damage in addition to the loss of metal itself, but has been the subject of little research. This thesis uses the paradigm of crime science to analyse the problem, focusing on thefts from the railway network in Great Britain. Two theoretical concepts are used: crime scripts and the routine-activities approach. Police-recorded crime and intelligence data are used to develop a crime script, which in turn is used to identify features of the problem a) analysis of which would potentially be useful to practitioners seeking to understand and prevent metal theft, and b) for which sufficient data are available to make analysis practical. Three such features are then analysed in more detail. First, spatial and temporal distributions of metal theft are analysed. Metal theft appears to differ from other types of acquisitive crime in ways potentially useful for prevention, for example in clustering outside (but close to) cities, and in exhibiting significant repeat victimisation over a longer period than found for other crimes. Second, the potential crime-prevention value of the market-reduction approach is analysed by testing for clusters of thefts close to the locations of scrap-metal dealers. Scrap-yard locations are found to be a significant predictor of local thefts, controlling for metal availability, area accessibility, and density of population and industry. Third, the involvement of organised crime groups (OCGs) in metal theft is tested. Due to the difficulty of defining and measuring organised crime, multiple approaches are used: all show OCG involvement to be rarer than official estimates previously suggested. The implications of these findings for practitioners are discussed. The thesis also considers the relevance of the results for the use of crime science and the analysis of OCGs

Details: London: University College London, UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 2016. 275p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1507833/1/thesis_final_screen.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1507833/1/thesis_final_screen.pdf

Shelf Number: 147914

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Crime Science
Metal Theft
Property Crime
Property Theft
Railroads
Scrap Metal

Author: Beraldo, Sergio

Title: Life is now! Time Preferences and Crime: Aggregate Evidence from the Italian Regions.

Summary: This paper tests the relationship between time preferences and crime rates as posited by Davis (1988), whose theoretical analysis suggests that individuals' attitude towards the future significantly affects their propensity to commit crime. Our empirical analysis is based on a panel of Italian regions from 2003 to 2007. Various proxies for time preferences are considered: the consumer credit share out of the total amount of loans to households, the share of obese individuals out of the total population, the rate of marriages out of the total population, and the teenage pregnancy rate. Controlling for a great number of factors suggested by the scientific literature on the determinants of crime, adding to the model also time and regional fixed effects, and clustering standard errors to account for both serial and panel correlations, our results basically provide support to the 'Davis' hypothesis' for property crimes, while for violent crimes there seems to be less evidence that these are higher where people discount the future more heavily. Moreover, there is no evidence of a reverse effect from crime to time preferences at this aggregate level.

Details: Munich: Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 2013. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: MPRA Paper No. 49865: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/49865/1/MPRA_paper_49865.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Italy

URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/49865/1/MPRA_paper_49865.pdf

Shelf Number: 147947

Keywords:
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Borraz, Fernando

Title: Conditional Cash Transfers and Crime: Higher Income but also Better Loot

Summary: We analyze the impact of conditional cash transfer programs on crime. We present evidence that welfare payments in cash significantly increase criminal activities. We exploit the exogenous increase in the payment and the number of beneficiaries given by a major reformulation of the CCT program in Uruguay. The increase in crime is exclusively observed in property crime suggesting the impact is driven by economic reasons. Our findings suggest that more cash available in the streets improves the loot from crime and thus increases the incentives for criminal activities

Details: Montevideo, Uruguay: Centro de Economía, Sociedad y Empresa, IEEM Business School, Universidad de Montevideo, 2014. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi?db_name=ESWC2015&paper_id=2662

Year: 2014

Country: Uruguay

URL: https://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi?db_name=ESWC2015&paper_id=2662

Shelf Number: 145023

Keywords:
Conditional Cash Transfers
Poverty
Property Crime
Welfare Payments

Author: Chu, Yu-Wei Luke

Title: Joint Culpability: The effects of medical marijuana laws on crime

Summary: Most U.S. states have passed medical marijuana laws. In this paper, we study the effects of these laws on violent and property crime. We first estimate models that control for city fixed effects and flexible city-specific time trends. To supplement this regression analysis we use the synthetic control method which can relax the parallel trend assumption and better account for heterogeneous policy effects. Both the regression analysis and the synthetic control method suggest no causal effects of medical marijuana laws on violent or property crime at the national level. We also find no strong effects within individual states, except for in California where the medical marijuana law reduced both violent and property crime by 20%.

Details: Wellington, NZ: School of Economics and Finance Victoria University of Wellington, 2017. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: SEF Working Paper 04/2017: Accessed April 29, 2017 at: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sef/research/pdf/2017-papers/SEF-WP_04-2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sef/research/pdf/2017-papers/SEF-WP_04-2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 145197

Keywords:
Cannabis
Drug Policy
Drugs and Crime
Marijuana
Medical Marijuana
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Baumann, Florian

Title: Hide or Show? Endogenous Observability of Private Precautions Against Crime When Property Value is Private Information

Summary: This paper analyzes a contest in which defenders move first, have private information about the value of the objects they are trying to protect, and determine the observability of their defense efforts. The equilibrium consistent with the intuitive criterion depends on the distribution of defender types, the magnitude of the difference between defender types, and the asymmetry between defender and aggressor regarding the valuation of the objects at stake in the contest. Our setting captures key characteristics of the interaction between households and thieves, focusing on the classic distinction between observable and unobservable private precautions against crime. An analysis of welfare implications determines that a setting in which information about the value of the protected objects is private results in a better outcome than a complete-information scenario.

Details: Dusseldorf: Dusseldorf University Press, 2013. 46p.

Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper No. 115: Accessed June 29, 2017 at: http://www.dice.hhu.de/fileadmin/redaktion/Fakultaeten/Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche_Fakultaet/DICE/Discussion_Paper/115_Baumann_Denter_Friehe_01.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.dice.hhu.de/fileadmin/redaktion/Fakultaeten/Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche_Fakultaet/DICE/Discussion_Paper/115_Baumann_Denter_Friehe_01.pdf

Shelf Number: 146462

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Privacy
Property Crime

Author: Janko, Zuzana

Title: Examining the Link between Crime and Unemployment: A Time Series Analysis for Canada

Summary: We use national and regional Canadian data to analyze the relationship between the unemployment rate and crime rates. Given potential aggregation bias, we disaggregate the aggregate crime data and look at the relationship between six different types of crimes and unemployment rate. At the national level, neither the aggregate total crime, nor the aggregate property crime are significantly related with the unemployment rate; however a rise in unemployment rate does significantly increase certain kinds of property crime, like breaking and entering, and robbery. At the regional level, the results of our panel data analysis also show that breaking and entering, and fraud rise as contemporaneous unemployment increases. When we extend our panel analysis to control for police-civilian ratio and other controls (this reduces our sample period) we find a significant relationship between unemployment and all crime rates except violent crime. Our results thus indicate that for Canada the unemployment rate is a significant factor in predicting property crimes but not violent crimes.

Details: Sheffield, UK: University of Sheffield, Department of Economics, 2015. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2017 at: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/economics/research/serps/articles/2013_001

Year: 2015

Country: Canada

URL: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/economics/research/serps/articles/2013_001

Shelf Number: 147615

Keywords:
Economics of Crime
Property Crime
Unemployment and Crime

Author: Getmansky, Anna

Title: Border Fortification and the Economics of Crime

Summary: We estimate the causal effect of a large, plausibly random border fortification project on crime in Israel. The timing of border wall construction was staggered, disrupting smuggling access to some towns before others. Using data on the location of car thefts before and after fortification, we find a large deterrent effect in protected towns (41% decline) and substantial displacement to not-yet-protected towns (34% increase). For some protected towns, fortification also arbitrarily increased the length of preferred smuggling routes. These granular shocks to smuggling costs further deterred auto theft (6% drop per kilometer). Drawing on novel arrest records, we find that the displacement of crime to unprotected towns is not driven by labor relocation from protected townships. Instead, local criminal organizations in unprotected towns increased their participation in car theft. We also find evidence that wall construction induced substitution from crossborder smuggling to other forms of property crime where assets are liquidated in Israel.

Details: Chicago: The Pearson Institute, 2017. 53p.

Source: Internet Resource: The Pearson Institute Discussion Paper No. 41: Accessed October 17, 2017 at: https://thepearsoninstitute.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/06282017%20Wright%20Border%20Walls.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Israel

URL: https://thepearsoninstitute.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/06282017%20Wright%20Border%20Walls.pdf

Shelf Number: 147705

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Border Security
Economics of Crime
Motor Vehicle Theft
Property Crime
Smuggling

Author: Males, Mike

Title: Most California Jurisdictions Show Declines in Property Crime During Justice Reform Era, 2010-2016

Summary: This report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice examines local trends in California's property crime from 2010 through 2016, a period marked by major justice system reform, including Public Safety Realignment, Prop 47, and Prop 57. Despite the relative stability of recent property crime trends, the report finds substantial variation in crime at the local level, which suggests that recent crime patterns may result from local policies rather than state policy reform. The report finds: From 2010 to 2016, property crime rates fell more than 3 percent statewide despite the implementation of large-scale criminal justice reforms. For every major crime except vehicle theft, more California jurisdictions reported decreases than increases in their crime rates from 2010 to 2016. For example, just 141 jurisdictions reported increased rates of burglary, while 367 jurisdictions showed decreases. Across California, crime trends have been highly localized. Of the 511 cities and local areas included in this analysis, 42 percent showed rising rates of property crime from 2010 to 2016, with an average increase of 12.8 percent, and 58 percent showed decreases, with an average decline of 18.1 percent. Many jurisdictions, especially those that began with higher rates of property crime, have devised successful policies and practices that are improving local safety. Jurisdictions that showed decreasing rates of property crime between 2010 and 2016 had higher rates at the start of the reform era than those showing increases.

Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2017. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/most_california_jurisdictions_show_declines_in_property_crime_during_justice_reform_era.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/most_california_jurisdictions_show_declines_in_property_crime_during_justice_reform_era.pdf

Shelf Number: 148269

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Property Crime
Public Safety Realignment

Author: London Assembly. Police and Crime Committee

Title: Tightening the net: The Metropolitan Police Service's response to online theft and fraud

Summary: The internet is changing the nature of crime -- The internet has revolutionised the way that we live our lives. But it has also changed the way that criminals operate: increasingly, there is a cyberdimension to almost all types of crime. Our investigation focused on how the internet has enabled criminals to commit acquisitive crimes - those that involve taking goods or money from a victim - in different ways. We found that, while crimes such as burglary are falling, a whole new collection of online crimes have emerged. One crime in particular has been transformed by the internet: fraud. Around 70 per cent of frauds are now "cyber-enabled" and the internet provides an opportunity for fraudsters to expand their activities on a huge scale. Unlike in the past, fraudsters can target large numbers of victims, often at next to no cost. The types of online scams are wide-ranging. Cyber-criminals tailor frauds to the individual; as one expert told us, we are all at risk. We do not know enough about the perpetrators of online crime. What is clear is that cyber-criminals do not fit into a typical mould. Organised crime groups are responsible for an element of online crime in London. But - in addition to these groups - many local, known criminals have expanded their day-to-day criminal activities into London's cyberspace. Computer literacy is no barrier to becoming a cyber-criminal - in fact, you need no more skill than to be able to log on. This, combined with a lower personal risk of being caught, makes online crime appealing to another, perhaps less expected, group of perpetrators: those new to crime. Committing crime using the internet offers anonymity - many would not commit a similar crime if it involved face-to-face contact with the victim. Like the perpetrators of online crime, its victims no longer fit into a typical group or category. Our research found that victims came from different ethnic groups, social grades and areas of London. We also found that becoming a victim of an online crime can be just as distressing as if it were a traditional crime, even when there has been no financial loss. Even the mere thought that someone had impersonated or tricked them can cause a great deal of stress for the victim. A greater understanding and sensitivity to victims' experiences will be an essential part of the police's response to online crime. We do not know the extent of online theft and fraud Crime statistics should help us to measure the extent - and the trend - of online crime. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) uses two headline measures for trends in total crime over time: police-recorded crime and the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Both sets of data tell a similar story crime in England and Wales has fallen sharply in the last decade. But both measures contain flaws, not least that they are failing to capture a range of crimes committed using the internet. Many online crimes will not appear in police-recorded statistics because often victims choose not to report crimes to the police in the first place. This may be because victims feel embarrassed at being tricked by a fraudster or that there is little the police can do to catch the perpetrator. Due to the hidden nature of many online frauds, often victims cannot report the offence immediately because they are unaware that it has been committed against them in the first place. The Crime Survey for England and Wales is not capturing trends in online crime either. It has failed to keep up as the public's experience of victimisation has evolved: the survey does not currently ask respondents about a range of crimes committed using the internet and excludes many crimes, such as fraud, from its headline results. The effect of this omission on the overall level of crime that the survey measures is significant. In light of the current limitations with both police-recorded crime and the Crime Survey, we commissioned our own victimisation survey to better understand the extent of online crime in London. Our findings paint an alarming picture of the balance between old and new crimes. Among the 1,004 Londoners we surveyed, we found that a higher proportion had been a victim of an online crime than of a more traditional form of property crime. Perceptions differ too: higher proportions of respondents felt online crimes have increased in recent years relative to traditional crimes. And respondents were also more worried about online crimes than they were traditional crimes. The police should reflect on our results as it develops its approach to online crime. The police service has been slow to respond to the emergence of online crime The police are behind the curve when it comes to tackling online crime. The research base for policing the cyber-threat is not as well developed as in other areas of policing and, in some cases, there is a lack of appetite among police forces and officers to tackle offences such as cyber-fraud, often not seen as exciting crimes to investigate. In order to improve the police service's response, the Government changed the system for reporting fraud. Action Fraud - the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime - has had a number of successes, such as improving the level of crime reporting and the ways in which positive outcomes are sought for victims. But, while the new system represents an improvement on that which preceded it, one problem stands out: there is still a need to raise awareness among the public - and even among parts of the police - about Action Fraud. To increase reporting of crime in London, the Mayor, MOPAC and the Met should all work with the City of London Police to help to raise awareness about online crime and the role of Action Fraud. Better co-operation between the police and other organisations is needed as well. The police service has claimed that banks and others do not routinely report offences because they do not wish to reveal how vulnerable they are. Some have argued that these and other organisations should be encouraged or even compelled to share fraud data with law enforcement agencies. MOPAC and the Met have started to take the problem seriously The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) recognises that online crime is a significant problem in London. So far, MOPAC's approach has focused mainly on online crimes against businesses. This is important: some small businesses are particularly vulnerable. But MOPAC must not let the Met lose focus on individual victims of online crime. And, to help the Met to avoid viewing cyber-crime in isolation, all MOPAC's future strategies should directly address pertinent internet risks, something missing in its recently published Hate Crime Reduction Strategy for London. Like MOPAC, the Met is also aware of the difficulty in tackling online crime. It has created a new Fraud and Linked Crime Online (FALCON) command, with substantially increased resources, to reduce the harm caused by fraud and cyber-criminals in London. Given the potential scale of online crime, FALCON must make choices to meet this objective and secure the best value for money from its resources. Since many online crimes do not align with policing, national or international boundaries, enforcing the law can be difficult. As the FALCON command matures, it needs to develop its methods for disrupting criminals and preventing crimes from happening in the first place. It must also build a workforce with the right balance between police officers and civilian staff: piling in loads of uniformed officers is not the way to deal with online fraud. One of the reasons that many victims of online crime do not report the offence to the police is that they do not think the police will do anything about it. In order to show that they are taking online crime seriously, MOPAC and the Met need to demonstrate that they are making a difference. Measuring the level of online victimisation through prevalence surveys is perhaps the most effective way of doing that. We ask that MOPAC collects data in its future surveys and publishes the results on a regular basis. The Met faces challenges in the future The Met's decision to establish a new command to tackle fraud and online crime clearly demonstrates that it is taking these threats seriously. But this approach is not without risks. We are concerned that the FALCON command might become siloed from the rest of the Met. Given that that there is increasingly a cyber-dimension to almost all crimes, the Met needs to ensure that all of its officers and staff are as comfortable policing London's cyberspace as they are London's streets; it must not be left to specialists alone. Both inside and outside of the FALCON command, the Met needs to determine what skills and training its workforce needs to tackle the challenge of online crime. Aside from formal training, we heard that the Xbox and PlayStation generation of police officers are already well prepared to fight online crime. The Met should tap into this resource which is already among its ranks.

Details: London: The Assembly, 2015. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2018 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Tightening%20the%20net_0.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Tightening%20the%20net_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 149034

Keywords:
Acquisitive Crimes
Computer Crime
Cybercrime
Fraud
Internet Crime
Online Victimization
Property Crime
Theft

Author: Hombrados, Jorge Garcia

Title: What Is the Causal Effect of Poverty on Property Crime? Evidence from Chile

Summary: In February 27th 2010, an earthquake Richter magnitude 8.8 affects the south of Chile leading to increases in poverty rates in municipalities of the south and the center of Chile. This study exploits the variation in the exposure of Chilean municipalities to this exogenous income shock combining instrumental variables and spatial panel econometric models to investigate the causal effect of poverty on property crime at the municipality level in Chile. Preliminary results show that once endogeneity and spatial dependence are accounted for, poverty has a strong and significant effect on property crime, measured as incidence of car thefts. A 10 percentage points increase in poverty incidence increases in 54 the number of car thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the study shows that the incidence of property crime of a municipality is not only affected by its poverty level but also by the level of poverty in neighbour municipalities. The significance of the effect of poverty on property crime is robust to alternative specifications, econometric models and to other robustness checks.

Details: Unpublished paper, 2015. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2018 at: http://lacer.lacea.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/53025/lacea2015_effect_poverty_property_crime.pdf?sequence=1

Year: 2015

Country: Chile

URL: http://lacer.lacea.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/53025/lacea2015_effect_poverty_property_crime.pdf?sequence=1

Shelf Number: 149271

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Car Thefts
Economics of Crime
Poverty and Crime
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Vehicle Theft

Author: Corman, Hope

Title: Age Gradient in Female Crime: Welfare Reform as a Turning Point

Summary: This study explores how a major public policy change-the implementation of welfare reform in the U.S. in the 1990s-shaped the age gradient in female crime. We used FBI arrest data to investigate the age-patterning of the effects of welfare reform on women's arrests for property crime, the type of crime women are most likely to commit and that welfare reform has been shown to affect. We found that women's property crime arrest rates declined over the age span; that welfare reform led to an overall reduction in adult women's property crime arrests of about 4%, with the strongest effects for women ages 25-29 and in their 40s; that the effects were slightly stronger in states with stricter work incentives; and that the effects were much stronger in states with high criminal justice expenditures and staffing. The key contributions of this study are the focus on a broad and relevant policy-based "turning point" (change in circumstances that can lead people to launch or desist from criminal careers), addressing the general question of how a turning point shapes age gradients in criminal behavior, and the focus on women in the context of the age patterning of crime.

Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2018. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper 24464: Accessed April 5, 2018 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w24464

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w24464

Shelf Number: 149704

Keywords:
Female Offenders
Poverty and Crime
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Welfare Reform
Women Offenders

Author: Willis, Matthew

Title: Property Crime and Indigenous Offenders

Summary: It is well recognised that Indigenous offenders are over-represented within the Australian criminal justice system. In response to this, researchers have attempted to identify the factors contributing to Indigenous offending. Such studies have tended to look at Indigenous offending and engagement with the criminal justice system as a whole, across the full range of different offence types, or have focused on violent crime (Memmott et al. 2001; Bryant & Willis 2008; Wundersitz 2010). Little attention has been paid to Indigenous involvement in other specific forms of crime, such as property offending. While violent crime (specifcally acts intended to cause injury) accounts for the largest proportion of recorded Indigenous offenders (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2016a) and prisoners (ABS 2016c), a substantial number of Indigenous people are imprisoned or otherwise sanctioned for property offences each year. Understanding and addressing factors contributing to Indigenous involvement in property crime can also potentially contribute to reducing Indigenous over- representation (Weatherburn 2014). This paper aims to assist policymakers and practitioners by filling some of the gaps in knowledge about Indigenous involvement in property crime. The brief first overviews the extent of Indigenous involvement in property crime and draws some comparisons between nature and rates of property crime committed by Indigenous offenders and non- Indigenous offenders. Some of the main theoretical explanations for involvement in property offending across the overall population are examined and related to property offending by Indigenous people. The brief draws on unpublished research data to further explore the nature of Indigenous property offending and also examines some initiatives that aim to reduce this offending. For the purposes of this paper, 'property crime' will encompass the offences of robbery; unlawful entry with intent/break and enter (burglary); all thefts; fraud; and property damage as classified under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification. Robbery is usually considered a violent crime as the actual or threatened use of violence is an element of the offence that is more serious than the theft element. However, the factors contributing to involvement in robbery and patterns of incidence for robbery tend to align more closely with crimes such as burglary than they do with violent crimes such as assault. For instance, rates of robbery in Australia and internationally have been declining in recent years to an extent that is consistent with property crime trends but not with violent crime trends (van Dijk, Tseloni & Farrell 2012). Violent crime has also declined but over a shorter period and with greater fluctuation (Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) 2016; Nelson 2015). Therefore, robbery will be considered a property crime for the purposes of this paper; this approach has been undertaken in other recent studies of property crime (Brown 2015).

Details: Sydney: Indigenous Justice Clearinghouse, 2018. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief 23: Accessed july 26, 2018 at: https://www.indigenousjustice.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/publications/files/property-crime-willis-fracchini-rb23-ijc.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.indigenousjustice.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/publications/files/property-crime-willis-fracchini-rb23-ijc.pdf

Shelf Number: 150922

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Offenders
Indigenous Peoples
Property Crime
Robbery
Theft

Author: Pew Charitable Trusts

Title: The Effects of Changing Felony Theft Thresholds:

Summary: Since 2000, at least 37 states have raised their felony theft thresholds, or the value of stolen money or goods above which prosecutors may charge theft offenses as felonies, rather than misdemeanors. Felony offenses typically carry a penalty of at least a year in state prison, while misdemeanors generally result in probation or less than a year in a locally run jail. Lawmakers have made these changes to prioritize costly prison space for more serious offenders and ensure that value-based penalties take inflation into account. A felony theft threshold of $1,000 established in 1985, for example, is equivalent to more than twice that much in 2015 dollars. Critics have warned that these higher cutoff points might embolden offenders and cause property crime, particularly larceny, to rise. To determine whether their concerns have proved to be true, The Pew Charitable Trusts examined crime trends in the 30 states that raised their felony theft thresholds between 2000 and 2012, a period that allows analysis of each jurisdiction from three years before to three years after the policy change. Pew also compared trends in states that raised their thresholds during this period with those that did not. This chartbook, which updates and reinforces an analysis published in 2016, illustrates three important conclusions: - Raising the felony theft threshold has no impact on overall property crime or larceny rates. - States that increased their thresholds reported roughly the same average decrease in crime as the 20 states that did not change their theft laws. - The amount of a state's felony theft threshold-whether it is $500, $1,000, $2,000, or more - is not correlated with its property crime and larceny rates.

Details: Philadelphia: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2017. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2018 at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2017/04/pspp_the_effects_of_changing_felony_theft_thresholds.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2017/04/pspp_the_effects_of_changing_felony_theft_thresholds.pdf

Shelf Number: 151085

Keywords:
Felonies
Larceny
Property Crime
Theft

Author: Edmark, Karin

Title: The Effects of Unemployment on Property Crime: Evidence from a Period of Unusually Large Swings in the Business Cycle

Summary: This paper uses a panel of Swedish counties over the years 1988-99 to study the effects of unemployment on property crime rates. The period under study is characterized by great turbulence in the labor market - the variation in the unemployment rates is unprecedented in the second half of the century. The data hence provides a unique opportunity to investigate unemployment effects. According to the theory of economics of crime, increased unemployment rates lead to higher property crime rates. A fixed effects model is estimated to investigate this hypothesis. The model includes time- and county-specific effects and a number of economic and socio-demographic variables in order to control for unobservables and covariates. In addition the model is estimated with linear and quadratic time trends to control for county-specific unobserved trends. The result gives strong evidence that unemployment has a positive and significant effect on burglary, car theft and bike theft.

Details: Uppsala University, Department of Economics, 2003. 29p.28p.

Source: Initernet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2018 at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bc63/35dd419043ef2b965f7b10732a4b55340bf5.pdf

Year: 2003

Country: Sweden

URL: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bc63/35dd419043ef2b965f7b10732a4b55340bf5.pdf

Shelf Number: 151122

Keywords:
Economics of Crime
Property Crime
Unemployment and Crime

Author: Torres, Jose Alexis

Title: Public Housing: Examining the Impact of Banishment and Community Policing

Summary: Public housing authorities (PHAs) have enforced banishment since the late 1980s by granting police the authority to ban non-residents from public housing neighborhoods and arresting them for trespassing upon violating the ban. PHAs justify banishment by stating that issuing bans and arrests for trespassing aid in crime prevention by removing non-residents who may commit criminal acts if left unguarded. Nonetheless, there has been no scientific evidence to suggest that banishment works to reduce crime. Similarly, the role community policing can play in enforcing banishment is unclear and scarce research has considered the effects of banishment on racial and ethnic minorities at neighborhood and individual levels. To address these issues this three-part study examined the enforcement of banishment on Kings Housing Authority (KHA; Southeast, US) public housing property from 2004-2012. Collectively these studies address the following overarching research questions: Does banishment reduce crime in public housing neighborhoods? Does banishment disproportionately target racial and ethnic public housing neighborhoods? Does banishment prevent banned individuals from re-offending in public housing? Does banishment disproportionately ban racial and ethnic individuals? What are the residential perceptions of banishment and its effectiveness? How does race and ethnicity affect perceptions of banishment and its effectiveness? Results suggest that banishment is better at reducing property crime than violent crime, though the reductions are modest at best. Increases in bans predicted decreases in drug arrests the following year and predicted that drug offenders can be deterred. Despite these crime control benefits results also suggested that the enforcement of banishment comes at a cost. First, a significant amount of banned individuals are not deterred. Second, while trespass enforcement is used in communities other than public housing, the issuing of bans is concentrated only within public housing communities and bans are predominantly issued to African-American males. Finally, results found that residents are not likely to find them effective if they think they are policing too much or policing too little. Future directions and implications are discussed given the dynamic between the crime control benefits of banishment and its social consequences.

Details: Blacksburg: Virginia Tech University, 2016. 134p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 21, 2018 at: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/71703

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/71703

Shelf Number: 151228

Keywords:
Community Policing
Property Crime
Public Housing
Trespassing

Author: Pew Charitable Trusts

Title: South Carolina Reduced Theft Penalties While Safely Cutting Prison Population

Summary: In 2010, South Carolina enacted comprehensive sentencing reforms that included a provision to increase the state's felony theft threshold-the dollar value of stolen money or goods above which prosecutors may charge a person with a felony rather than a misdemeanor-and revise penalties for certain property crimes. The state is one of 37 that changed their theft thresholds between 2000 and 2016. Felony offenses are typically punishable by a year or more in state prison, while misdemeanors can result in up to a year in a local jail, so South Carolina's changes have the effect of prioritizing costly prison space for those convicted of more serious offenses. The new policy also represents an acknowledgment by lawmakers that inflation raises the value of stolen goods and therefore has an impact on the penalties imposed. For example, in a state with a $500 threshold, stealing a bicycle worth $250 in 1985 would have led to a misdemeanor charge, but today, because of inflation, that same bicycle would be worth $5752 and stealing it would result in a felony charge, potential prison time, and the diminished employment and housing prospects, occupational licensing restrictions, and other consequences that can accompany a felony conviction. In April 2017, The Pew Charitable Trusts published a study of 30 states that had raised their felony theft thresholds between 2000 and 2012 and found that the reforms did not interrupt downward trends in property crime or larceny rates. These states reported roughly the same average decrease in crime as the 20 states that had not changed their theft laws, and threshold amounts were not correlated with property crime or larceny rates. Now, Pew has undertaken an analysis of South Carolina's change in an effort to expand on the national study by examining a broader range of outcomes, including the relationships among higher dollar thresholds, crime, and the value of stolen goods. The evaluation reinforced the earlier findings, determining that since the 2010 law was implemented-even as South Carolina has sent fewer people to prison for theft offenses, and for shorter terms-the state's property crime rate has continued to fall. Pew also found that the value of items stolen did not change, alleviating concerns that a higher threshold would lead not only to more theft but also to targeted theft of more expensive goods. This brief delves into the findings of this research and demonstrates how South Carolina's results provide further evidence that states can increase their felony theft thresholds without compromising public safety.

Details: Pew Charitable Trusts: 2018. 10p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2018 at:https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/04/south-carolina-reduced-theft-penalties-while-safely-cutting-prison-population

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/04/south-carolina-reduced-theft-penalties-while-safely-cutting-prison-population

Shelf Number: 151439

Keywords:
Prison Sentencing Reform
Property Crime
Sentencing Reform
Stolen Goods
Theft
Theft Reduction

Author: Randall, Amy

Title: Burglars on burglary

Summary: In a study commissioned by Churchill Home Insurance, Perpetuity Research interviewed 15 convicted burglars to help understand what factors motivate burglary. The report considers various aspects such as how targets are selected, the level of planning and the equipment used, the significance of security measures, and how stolen goods are sold on. It also covers how the interviewees perceived the legal change made in 2013 that clarified the rights of householders to use force to protect themselves or others in their homes. The report provides a fascinating insight in to the thought process of a small sample of those who have committed burglary.

Details: Tunbridge Wells, UK: Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International, 2014. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2018 at: https://perpetuityresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2014-10-Burglars-on-burglary.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://perpetuityresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2014-10-Burglars-on-burglary.pdf

Shelf Number: 153052

Keywords:
Burglars
Burglary
Property Crime
Stolen Goods
Theft

Author: Chang, Yu Sang

Title: Do Larger Cities Experience Lower Crime Rates? Scaling Analysis of 758 cities in the U.S.

Summary: Do larger cities still suffer from a higher crime rates? The scaling relationship between the number of crime counts and the population size for the maximum of 758 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the United States during 1999 to 2014 was analyzed. For the total group of cities, the relation is superlinear for both violent and property crime. However, for the subgroups of top 12, top 24, and top 50 largest cities, the relations change to sublinear for both violent and property crime. Results from multivariate panel data analysis are in support of these findings. Next to population size, income per capita and population density have also influenced the outcome of crime counts

Details: Gachon University - College of Business and Economics, 2019. 33p.

Source: Internet Resource: Gachon Center of Convergence Research Working paper 2019-02: Accessed April 17, 2019 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3343149

Year: 2019

Country: United States

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3343149

Shelf Number: 155443

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Property Crime
Urban Areas and Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Ly, Monica

Title: Crude Crime: An analysis of energy prices and crime in Alberta

Summary: The relationship between energy prices and levels of crime in Canada is under-researched, despite Canada's dependency on its natural resources. There have been numerous media reports on the high level of crime and revenue from resource-based communities, such as Fort McMurray. However, these conclusions have not been substantiated by research. In this thesis, social disorganization theory and routine activity theory are used to examine crime patterns in Alberta. The current study explores the relationship between fluctuations in energy prices and crime rates in Alberta between the years 1998 to 2006. A fixed effects linear regression analysis is used to determine the association between crime rates and changes in both oil and natural gas prices while accounting for a number of variables. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between energy prices and break and enter, as well as theft from auto. In light of these findings, implications for future research and theoretical development are discussed.

Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, 2018. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 7, 2019 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/17986

Year: 2018

Country: Canada

URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/17986

Shelf Number: 155680

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Energy Prices
Natural Resource
Oil and Gas Industry
Petroleum Industry
Property Crime
Theft from Auto

Author: Admani, Shabana

Title: The Effect of DNA Evidence on Incidence of Property Crime Arrests

Summary: Background: With a high volume of incoming cases and ever-present backlogs, forensic laboratories are often limited with the funding and resources necessary to test every evidence item waiting to be processed. Properly allocating resources can be a persistent challenge. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine which types of physical evidence collected from property crime scenes, upon the completion of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis, would most likely lead to cold hits in the Combined DNA Index System database (CODIS) and ultimately result in arrests. The goal here is to provide law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories with useful information that could improve evidence processing methods and allow them to better utilize limited resources. Materials and Methods: All of San Diego Police Department's DNA cases from property crimes during a one-year period were reviewed to determine which evidence types yielded the highest number of arrests. Bloodstains, drinking containers, cigarette butts, clothing, rocks, and various types of tools were the most common types of evidence submitted for DNA testing in property crime investigations. Results: Bloodstains resulted in the highest amount of cold hits (73%) and yielded nearly 250% more arrests than non-blood evidence. Conclusion: When allocating resources in forensic laboratories, property crime cases with blood evidence should be given the highest priority. Further prioritization based on evidence type, however, is not definitively supported by the results of this study.

Details: La Jolla, California: Forensic Sciences Program at National University, 2017. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2019 at: https://openventio.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Effect-of-DNA-Evidence-on-Incidence-of-Property-Crime-Arrests-TFMOJ-2-118.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://openventio.org/the-effect-of-dna-evidence-on-incidence-of-property-crime-arrests/

Shelf Number: 156490

Keywords:
Arrests
Blood Samples
DNA
Evidence
Evidentiary Support
Forensic Laboratories
Law Enforcement
Property Crime

Rutgers - School of Law, Newark

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