Property Crime

Most offences are not dramatic or spectacular= Felson 1998 

Concept of 'volume crime' is the fluid and redefined according to political considerations= Presdee 2005 

Property crime concerns all the dimensions involved the taking, distributing ad buying stolen good= Presdee 2005 

AKA:

• Stealing 
• Acquisitive offending 
• Larceny 

s.1 Theft Act 1968 

Theft is the 'dishonest' appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving that person of it. 

• Theft= household from person 
• Robbery 
• Burglar= domestic/non-domestic, attempted and aggravated 
• Removal of articles from places open to public 
• Taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority 
• Aggravated vehicle taking 
• Abstracting of electricity 
• Handling stolen goods 
• Going equipped for stealing 

s.1 Criminal Damage Act 1971 

Destroying or damaging property belonging to another person without lawful excuse- recklessly or with intent 

s.1 (3) Arson

Destroying or damaging property by fire 

Shop theft

• 74% male, 26% female 
• 50% aged 18-28 
• 89% white European 
• 90% unemployed 
• 66% tested positive for drugs 
• Average 42 previous convictions and 21 previous offences of theft

Speed & Burrows 2006 

Robbery:

• Theft Act 1968: robbery is theft with use of threat of force 
• Street robbery: the illegal appropriation of goods or property from a victim or group of victims in a public space: Hallsworth 2005 
• Armed robbery: robbery of commercial premises using a weapon: firearm, knife, hammer, baseball bat etc: Matthews 2002

• 90% male 
• Majority offenders white 
• 78% 11-20 years 
• Living in urban and poor socio-economic conditions with high level of unemployment

Hallsworth 2005 

• 90% male 
• Majority of offenders white 
• Between 20-40 years 
• Low level of educational achievement 
• Poor work histories

Matthews 2002 

• Illegal economy: property crime is driven by the dynamics of production, supply, distribution and consumption of commodities 

Presdee 2005

Specialist markets: Stealing to order 

UK in the last 30 years:

Increased unemployment and part-time, deskilled, casualised, low paid work creating a polarised society 

• An unequal society with high levels of relative poverty and deprivation is likely yo be a society with high rates of crime 

Grover 2008 

• Consumer culture creates social divisons based on lifestyle
• Cosumer expectations: dissatisfaction: Hayward 2004 
• Consumer desires drive criminal activity via dissatisfaction: Presdee 2005 
• 'Social exclusion' and consumption - criminal activity is driver by consumerism and fanrasised identities: Hall et al 2008