Who are the Criminals?

I. Youth, Gangs, and Violence A. About 60% of all violent crimes are committed by young males under the age of % of all arrests are male 2. 90% of violent crime arrests are male B. Street robbery is the most prevalent crime

I. Youth, Gangs, and Violence C. Many criminals say they steal money for drugs, food, or goods, but most say they steal for the power it gives them 1. One characteristic of criminals is their apparent lack of feeling (Example – 3 Miami boys covered a homeless person in lighter fluid and set him on fire; told the police it was just a prank) 2. A second characteristic seems to be that they are not afraid of the police, jail, or dying

I. Youth, Gangs, and Violence D. Youth Gang Violence 1. Gangs in some ways social clubs, but also involved in street crime, drugs, and turf warfare 2. Could have stayed the same, but then crack-cocaine hit the streets a. Gangs quickly became drug-dealing networks b. Huge increase in violence 3. Youth going gangs for different reasons a. May seem safer b. Way to make money c. Substitute for functioning, supportive families

I. Youth, Gangs, and Violence E. Gang Suppression – stop gang violence 1. Directed police patrols 2. Anti-loitering ordinances 3. Street-gang injunctions 4. Zero tolerance for gang violence

II. Swindlers and Con Artists A. White-Collar Crime 1. Acts like banks fraud, selling worthless stocks and bonds, illegal mortgage schemes to take people’s homes, money laundering, etc. a. Average loss from a street crime = $500 b. White-collar crimes almost always result in much greater losses 2. Swindlers don’t rely on violence or breaking and entering – they rely on the victim’s trust (steal victim’s self-respect, as well as their money)

II. Swindlers and Con Artists B. Statistics 1. Approximately 1 in 3 households are the victims of white-collar crime, but only 41% report the incident 2. Only 21% of those reported are handled by a law enforcement or consumer protection agency 3. Losses from white-collar crime going up; today fraud and abuse costs U.S. organization more than $400 billion each year

II. Swindlers and Con Artists C. Typical white-collar criminal is a college- educated white male; men commit nearly 75% of the offenses D. Though just as or more devastating than street crimes, white-collar crimes don’t get the same shocked responses and lengthy prison sentences of other crimes