Property crime

Property crime, as defined in the United States, refers to theft or damage of an individual’s property without the use or threat of force. Examples include stealing from unattended vehicles, spray-painting graffiti on buildings, and breaking into a home and stealing items. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), more than 6 million property crime offenses occurred in the United States in 2023. This was a decrease from the previous year. Classification of crimes can vary by jurisdiction, however. For example, in some places, crimes involving violence are also classified as property crimes.

Background

Theft is and has always been a common crime. In prehistory, individuals with supplies such as food and weapons had to guard against others who might steal from them. Warring tribes often took what they wanted and burned enemies’ homes and goods to leave them without food and shelter. The moral concepts of right and wrong did not develop until much later, when humans began living in large groups. People had to abide by social rules if they were to get along with one another. Stealing another person’s food, for example, would lead to arguments and possibly violence, so human cultures developed ideas about property rights. Early societies practiced communal activities for everyone’s benefit, such as farming shared land together. Over time, people began to develop specialized skills. Some humans may have contributed to society by hunting or manufacturing tools, while others grew food or herded animals. As the value of property increased, private ownership became preferable, and ideas about property changed. Farmland was likely divided among individuals or families, and market economies became common. This was not true among all societies, and even in modern times some communities do not view land as property that may be owned by one individual.

Property crimes involve either the theft or destruction of property. Stealing includes robbery and crimes such as embezzlement, while destruction covers acts of arson and vandalism. By removing or damaging an individual’s property, the criminal is denying the owner access and the use of his or her property.

Overview

In its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the FBI lists burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson as property crimes. Theft describes the taking of money or property without force or the threat of force against victims. Arson is included because it involves the destruction of property. However, not all arson cases are devoid of the use or threat of force, so arson may be included in other crime categories as well. Police department reports of arson offenses vary greatly, so the FBI cannot provide estimates of the rate of arson property crimes.

Terminology to describe property crime often varies by state and may overlap. In general, theft is defined as deliberately depriving an individual of his or her property. Larceny describes taking something of value with the intention of not returning it without the property owner’s permission. Burglary is unlawfully entering a closed structure, such as a home, with the intention of committing a crime like theft. Robbery is theft using force or the threat of force, such as threatening a shopkeeper with a gun and demanding money. Shoplifting is theft of merchandise from a retail business by concealing it to avoid paying for it. Vandalism is the destruction, defacement, or degradation of someone’s property without his or her permission. Other terms for vandalism include criminal damage, malicious mischief, and malicious trespass. Arson is the deliberate burning of property such as a structure or forest. Other crimes that are often related to arson include insurance fraud, manslaughter, and homicide.

Larceny-theft is the most common category, accounting for about two-thirds of all property crimes in 2023. Burglary accounted for just over 13 percent, while motor vehicle theft was more than 16 percent of property crimes.

In the United States, the FBI’s 2023 data report shows that property crime has been on the decline. Property crime decreased nearly 3 percent from the beginning of the year to the end, and the ten-year trend showed property crimes were down over 25 percent. The rate of property crime in 2013 was estimated at 2,743 per 100,000 people, which was about 6 percent lower than the 2011 rate.

Another form of personal theft is the Ponzi scheme. Named for Charles Ponzi, who launched the fraud in 1920, it involves promising huge returns on investments and paying investors with new money from new clients. These payments are presented as returns, and rely on the constant addition of new investors. Ponzi promised returns of 100 percent within ninety days. Instead of investing the money, he used new investments to pay existing investors. Eventually, such a pyramid collapses, because it relies on new investors’ money. Over time, the number of available newcomers dwindles. Ponzi’s fraudulent scheme was revealed when a newspaper investigation prompted investors to demand their money back, and Ponzi could not repay them. He was arrested and pled guilty to eighty-six counts of mail fraud. Ponzi served fourteen years in prison. The widespread publicity associated with his case forever linked his name to this form of fraud, although he had not invented it.

With the development of more sophisticated technology, new forms of property crimes have emerged. Cyber theft, for example, has become more common. Individuals may use spyware to infect computers and collect data such as credit card numbers and bank accounts. They can then sell this information or siphon off small amounts of money from many accounts; such minute thefts may be overlooked for years or may never be discovered. They are common because they offer little risk to the criminals.

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