NCJ Number
59072
Date Published
1979
Length
30 pages
Annotation
DESIGNED FOR POLICYMAKERS, THIS GUIDE PROVIDES BOTH TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE PREVENTION OF PROPERTY CRIMES.
Abstract
NEW DIRECTIONS ARE NEEDED IN ENFORCING LAWS AGAINST PROPERTY CRIMES IF SUCH CRIMES ARE TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL. BESIDES DESCRIBING THE TRADITIONAL ENFORCEMENT APPROACH TO PROPERTY CRIMES, THIS GUIDE PROVIDES POLICYMAKERS WITH A METHOD FOR ANALYZING THE PROPERTY CRIME ROLE OF THEIR AGENCIES AND AN AGENDA FOR SETTING NEW PRIORITIES AND DIRECTIONS IN THIS CRIME-CONTROL AREA. NATIONAL CRIME STATISTICS REVEAL AN ENFORCEMENT RECORD CHARACTERIZED BY THESE MAJOR COMPONENTS: (1) A HIGH RATE OF PROPERTY THEFT PER 100,000 INHABITANTS, (2) A POOR RATE OF CASE CLEARANCE ON PROPERTY CRIMES, AND (3) A DISAPPOINTINGLY LOW RATE OF RECOVERY OF GOODS STOLEN IN PROPERTY CRIMES. LAW ENFORCEMENT'S TRADITIONAL MISSION CONCERNING PROPERTY CRIMES IS TO IDENTIFY AND ARREST THIEVES. SINCE THIS APPROACH HAS NOT SUCCEEDED IN LOWERING THE THEFT RATE, MORE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, SUCH AS TARGETING AND ARRESTING FENCES OF STOLEN GOODS. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD ADOPT OBJECTIVES RELATED NOT ONLY TO THIEVES BUT ALSO TO FENCES OF STOLEN GOODS AND TO INTERMEDIATE AND FINAL POSSESSORS OF STOLEN PROPERTY. TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT THE DYNAMIC APPROACH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD DEVELOP EFFECTIVE PROPERTY RECOVERY STRATEGIES, EMPHASIZING ANALYSIS AND UNDERSTANDING OF STOLEN PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS, INNOVATIVE WAYS TO DEVELOP LEADS IN PROPERTY THEFT CASES, ORGANIZATION OF RESOURCES FOR EFFECTIVE RECOVERY EFFORTS, AND KNOWLEDGE OF BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE RECOVERY STRATEGIES. AGENCIES MAY ALSO WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE POINTS AT WHICH ENFORCEMENT INTERVENTION TAKES PLACE IN PROPERTY CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS, MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL FOR ESTABLISHING THE EVIDENTIARY TRAIL IN PROPERTY CRIMES CASES, AND MAXIMIZE THE AGENCY'S CAPACITY TO RECOVER STOLEN GOODS. A FLOW CHART ILLUSTRATING THE DYNAMIC VIEW AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)