Crimes Against Property

Two subgroups:

1. Crimes in which property is destroyed

2. Crimes in which the property is stolen or taken against the will of the owner

• In recent years, property crimes have fallen due to better prevention, such as, security lighting, alarm systems, steering wheel locks, greater attention to locking of doors and windows, and the tendency to carry less cash and using debit and credit cards instead

Arson

• The willful and malicious burning of a person’s property

• In most states, it is a crime to burn any structure, even if you own the structure

• Burning property with the intent to defraud an insurance company is a separate crime

• Has also been a form of racial violence

-Church Arson Prevention Act of 1966 was passed to help federal prosecutors deal with racially motivated church arsons

-the act helps oversee the investigation and prosecution of arson at places of worship

-also seeks for increased penalties

Vandalism

• The malicious mischief, or willful destruction, or damage to, the property of another

• Responsible for millions of dollars in damage per year

• Examples: keying cars, breaking windows, graffiti, braking off hood ornaments

Larceny

• Unlawful taking and carrying away of property of another person with the intent to deprive the owner of it.

• Divided into 2 classes (in most states) -grand larceny: theft of anything of a

certain value, usually $100 or more and is considered a felony

-petty larceny: the theft of anything of small value, usually less than $110 and is considered a misdemeanor

• Also includes keeping lost property when a reasonable method exists for finding the owner

• Shoplifting is a form of larceny -taking items from a store with paying or

intending to pay for them -results in business’ losing billions of

dollars each year which is usually passed on to the consumer

• Concealment is a the attempting to shoplifted

-separate crime in some states

Embezzlement

• The unlawful taking of property by someone to whom it was entrusted

Example: the bank teller who takes money from the bank drawer

• Some states have lumped embezzlement, larceny, and obtaining by false pretenses into the crime of theft

Robbery• The unlawful taking of property from a

person’s immediate possession by force or by intimidation

• Includes 2 harms:

1. theft of property

2. actual or potential physical harm to the victim

• Usually considered a felony

• Example: a pickpocket who takes your wallet unnoticed is guilty of larceny whereas, a mugger who knocks you down and takes your wallet by force is guilty of robbery

• Armed robbery-robbery that is committed with a gun or other weapon

-has a stricter penalty than robbery

-is a felony

Extortion

• Also called blackmail

• The use of threats to obtain another’s property

• Statutes usually cover threats to do future physical harm, destroy property, or injure someone’s character or reputation

Burglary

• Originally defined as breaking and entering the dwelling of another person during the night with intent to commit a felony

• Modern laws have broadened the definition to include the unauthorized entry into any structure with the intent to commit a crime regardless of the time of day

• Many states have stiffer penalties if the burglary is committed at night, if the building is inhabited, or if committed with a weapon

Forgery

• A crime in which a person makes or alters a writing or document with intent to defraud

• Can include the signing of someone’s name without permission

• Uttering, which is a separate crime in many states, is offering to someone as genuine a document known to be fake

Receiving Stolen Property

• When you buy or receive property that you know or have reason to know has been stolen

• Knowledge may be implied by the circumstances

Example: Buying a purse from the trunk of a car at an incredibly low price

• In most states: felony if more than $100; misdemeanor if less than $100

Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle

• When the person only intends to take a vehicle temporarily

• Includes joyriding

• Carjacking occurs when the person uses force or intimidation to steal a car from the driver

-federal crime and punishable with a sentence up to life in prison

Computer Crime

• Defined broadly to include any violation of criminal law that involves the use of computer technology to commit the prohibited act

Examples: using a computer art program to create a fake ID or using someone else’s credit card to purchase items, spreading harmful virus’s to other computer systems, to stealing passwords and gaining free access to computer programs

• Has become a more of a problem with the rapid expansion of the internet

• In 2002, there were 500 million users worldwide

• Committed for different reasons -committed by employees who are angry

with their employers -hackers gain illegal access to government

and corporate computer systems -this is a federal crime regardless of

motive

• Due to the terrorist attacks in 2001, several provisions related to computers were included in USA Patriot Act of 2001

• Another internet crime is the transmission of obscene images, movies, and sounds

• Concerned that children may be harmed by accessing obscene materials in libraries, Congress in 2000 enacted the Children’s Internet Protection Act

-requires that all public libraries to install filtering software on their computers

-was determined in 2003 by the Supreme Court that this law did not violate the 1st Amendment

• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 allows the government with a specific law to prosecute hackers

-made it a crime to modify, destroy, or disclose information gained from unauthorized entry into a computer

• National Information Infrastructure Act of 1996 makes it illegal to threaten to cause damage to a computer system unless the owner gives something of value, such as when someone threatens to crash a system unless they are given privileges

-also makes it illegal to intentionally give or receive passwords that would permit unauthorized access to systems

• Most computer crimes go unreported • Another type of computer crime is the copying of

computer software -software companies lose $2 billion each year to

illegal copying -a person who opens a software package is

agreeing to use the software on one computer and is allowed to copy for backup

-placing on more than one computer without permission is subject to a possible jail term and a fine of up to $250,000

-violators can be individuals, businesses and schools