Theft  Theft, or stealing, which in common law was referred to as larceny, is the prototype of all property offences. It includes such contemporary forms as: Purse-snatching, pickpocketing, shoplifting and vehicle theft. Purse-snatching, pickpocketing, shoplifting and vehicle theft. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.LO1

 The most prevalent crime in our society.  Common law elements of theft as outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada: A trespassory A trespassory Taking and Taking and Carrying away of Carrying away of Personal property Personal property Belonging to another Belonging to another With the intent to deprive the owner of the property permanently With the intent to deprive the owner of the property permanently ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.Theft LO1

Criminal Justice System Categories of Theft Theft over $5000 Theft over $5000 Theft under $5000 **most common Theft under $5000 **most common  Property crime rate in Canada is almost four times the violent crime rate.  Estimates from the 2009 GSS victimization survey indicate that Canadians were the victims of personal property theft at a rate of 108 per ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.LO1

Who Are the Thieves?  The Amateur Thief: occasional offenders who tend to be opportunists. They take advantage of a chance to steal when little risk is involved. Amateurs work, go to school, have conventional friends, and find little support or approval for their criminal behaviour.  The Professional Thief: makes a career of stealing. They take pride in their profession. The most common crimes committed by professional thieves are pick- pocketing, shoplifting, forgery, confidence swindling, and break-and-enter (burglary). They are also involved in art theft, auto vehicle theft, and fraud or theft by use of stolen or forged credit cards. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.LO1

 The Drug-Addicted Thief: emergence of a more contemporary thief – one who is addicted to drugs and steals to support his/her habit.  The Female Thief: women tend to steal different things than men and for different reasons. Increasing numbers of women are being charged with theft, shoplifting, cheque forgery and welfare fraud. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Who Are the Thieves? (cont’d) LO1

Shoplifting  Shoplifting: the stealing of goods from retail merchants.  Very common in Canada.  Costs retailers more than $7 million/day or about $ 3 billion a year.  So frequent because it is considered a low-risk offence with a detection rate of less than 1%. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.LO1

 Retailers were affected by retail crimes such as: Employee theft Employee theft Customer theft Customer theft Break-ins Break-ins  Most people feel that shoplifting is a rather insignificant offence. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. In April 2011, Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 120 days in jail (her fourth jail term) and 400 hours of community service as a result of a probation violation for stealing a $2500 necklace. Shoplifting LO1

Motor Vehicle Theft  One car is stolen every 3 minutes in Canada.  Most common location: parking lots.  More vehicles are stolen between 6:00 am and noon than any other time period.  Motor vehicle theft varies by province. ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. This police officer carries away “chopped” parts of stolen cars following the investigation into and discovery of a “chop shop.” LO1

Top 10 Most Stolen Cars: Honda Civic SiR 2-door Honda Civic SiR 2-door Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD Acura RSX Type S 2-door Acura Integra 2-door Audi S4 Quattro 4-door AWD Hummer H2 4-door AWD Acura RSX Type S 2-door Hummer H2 4-door AWD ©2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada LO1