Crimes_Against_Property

Jerald Buford Crime and Criminal Behavior Professor Kathleen Llewellyn-Duncan 03 December 2009 Crimes against Property Burglary, arson, vehicle theft, and larceny-theft are all crimes against property. Crimes against property are crimes of theft where no force or threat of force is directed toward an individual (http://law.jrank.org/pages/11928/Crimes-Against-Property.html). These crimes are considered less severe than crimes against persons. With the economy in the state it is in crimes against property are on the rise. People are constantly getting laid-off, businesses are closing, and the unemployment rate is steadily rising. The holiday season is here and some people are feeling the pressure. Description of Crime Security video show several burglars, early Sunday morning of November 29th, breaking into the Chick-fil-A on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, TN. The suspects entered through a side window of the restaurant setting off a silent alarm just before 1 a.m. The burglars used crowbars to pry the bolted safe, loaded it onto a two-wheel dolly, and into a green Ford Explorer. The police arrived on the scene at 1:06 a.m. with no signs of the suspects (http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/02/police-looking-suspects-who-stole-safe-east-memphi/). Crime Data According to the Commercial Appeal, October 26th another Chick-fil-A was robbed. These two restaurants are about 10 miles from each other. According to the store owner of the Poplar location both robberies had the same M.O (http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/02/police-looking-suspects-who-stole-safe-east-memphi/). Motives for Crime The article does not discuss the motive or motives behind the crime. First, possible motive could be the pressure of the holiday season. The burglars could be laid off from there jobs and had no other way to provide a good Christmas for their families. Second, possible motive could be it was an inside job; meaning an employee or employees could have burglarized the restaurant. They could have been observing the money the restaurant was taking in and decided to rob it. Third, possible motive could be teenagers with nothing better to do, but break in a restaurant and steal its safe. Type/Location of Crime Connection There was a connection between the type of crime and the location of the crime. According to the Memphis Police Crime Mapper, in the past 30 days four burglaries occurred within blocks of each other. All of the burglaries occurred at businesses. (https://crimemapper.memphispolice.org/crimemapper/index.cfm'action=search). Prevention Strategies There are many ways to prevent a business burglary from occurring like: • Make sure all outside entrances and inside security doors have deadbolts. • Windows should have secure locks and burglar resistant glass. Business owners should consider installing metal grates on all windows except the display window. • Light inside and outside of the business especially around the doors, windows, skylights, or other entry points. • Check parking lot for good lighting and unobstructed views. • Be sure safe is fireproof and securely anchored. Leave it open when it is empty (http://crime.about.com/od/prevent/qt/burglary_tips.htm). Conclusion In conclusion, crimes against property are on an all time high. Thefts are happening more and more frequently everyday. According to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program there were 10,450,893 property crimes in 2002. That was 2002 and we are 2009, I am sure they have tripled. We as individual, families, friends, etc. need to take the extra precautions to stop these crimes. References Crimes against Property. (2002). Retrieved on December 03, 2009 from http://law.jrank.org/pages/11928/Crimes-Against-Property.html Dudding, Hank. (2009, December 02). Police looking for suspects who stole safe from East Memphis Chick-fil-A. The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 03, 2009, from http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/02/police-looking-suspects-who-stole-safe-east-memphi/ Memphis Police. (2009). Crime Mapper. Retrieved on December 04, 2009, from https://crimemapper.memphispolice.org/crimemapper/index.cfm'searchtype=new&justification=error&CFID=191082&CFTOKEN=47835292 Montaldo, Charles. (2009). Business Burglary Prevention Tips. Retrieved on December 4, 2009, from http://crime.about.com/od/prevent/qt/burglary_tips.htm