Fundamentals of Business

Crime

7.1.13 Crime
Definition of crime in general
A normative definition views crime as deviant behaviour that violates prevailing norms, specifically, cultural standards prescribing how humans ought to behave. This approach considers the complex realities surrounding the concept of crime and seeks to understand how changing social, political, psychological, and economic conditions may affect the current definitions of crime and the form of the legal, law enforcement, and penal responses.

Crime opportunity

Situational factors or characteristics of the building environment may make it a more tempting target for offenders. Situational factors can be altered by property owners to make a property less desirable as a target of opportunity for potential offenders. According to rational choice theory, criminals weigh costs/risks and benefits in deciding whether or not to take advantage of a crime opportunity.
Crime types
Crime is generally classified into categories, including violent crime, property crime, and public order crime.

Property crime

is a category of crime that includes burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime only involves the taking of money or property, and does not involve force or threat of force against a victim.
Property crimes are high volume crimes, with cash, electronics (e.g. televisions), power tools, cameras, and jewellery often targeted. "Hot products" tend to be items that are concealable, removable, available, valuable, and enjoyable, with an ease of "disposal" being the most important characteristic.

Types of property crime

Burglary
Burglary of residences, retail establishments, and other commercial facilities involves breaking and entering, and stealing property.

Construction site burglary
Burglary at single family home construction sites is an increasing problem in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Japan, and elsewhere in the world, with burglary of tools and equipment at residential subdivision construction sites comprising between 5 and 20 percent of building costs. In the United States, equipment worth $300 million to $1 billion is stolen each year. Large scale tract developers are hardest hit by this form of crime.

Thef Theft
Theft of cash is most common, over everything else, followed by vehicle parts, clothing, and tools.