Among many legal issues that often see the face of court, property crime is one of the most prevalent crimes in the United States today. It consists of destroying or obtaining someone else’s property like their house, vehicle or other assets.
The different causes of crimes against property are usually because of poverty. People have a rage of anger going on inside them when they’re unable to figure out what they’re family is going to eat in the night, thus burglary and robbery are often done for monetary benefits.
Other crimes are often the result of peer pressure; bursting your neighbour’s vehicle tyre, or breaking windows of a shop at night all come under property crime. Even in popular culture, in movies we see a group of rowdy boys drunk in the middle of the night spraying paint on walls and breaking windows ‘for fun’. When charged with such crimes, there is definite punishment that every criminal goes through.
Crimes Against Property Definition
Crimes against property are common and usually happen against private properties. They are obtained or snatched from someone through force or other violent measures. Common property crimes include burglary, vandalism, robbery, shoplifting, arson and carjacking.
Of course, property crime is a major felony which is punishable by law. The plaintiff may bring a case to court against a defendant they believe has committed property crime, and caused loss to an innocent victim. The judge may give them a punishment depending on the intensity of the crime.
Property Crime Statistics
It is obvious that property crime has been prevalent in the world today, and more so in the United States. Either by accident or on purpose many people cause damage to other people’s properties, often causing them a loss of hundreds and thousands of dollars.
The number of reported cases of property crime in the US is almost 6.92m, with Washington D.C having the highest rate of property crime as compared to any other state, with 4,367.1 per 100,000 population.
Burglary cases have been 1.12m, with New Mexico having the highest burglary rate of 696.8m.
Larceny-theft cases have been 5.08m with D.C having the highest rate of about 3,775.4 per 100,000. The number of motor vehicle reported cases have been 721,885m with New Mexico having the highest rate of 427.2 per a population of 100,0000. Moreover, arson cases in the US have been 7,068 in 2019.
Property Crime Cases
In 2015, Malachi Love-Robinson, 18, was charged with practicing medicine without a license after a sting operation. He paid bail and asked for privacy while his lawyers worked on the case. A teenager in South Florida who was advertising his health care services had certifications in holistic healthcare. He was charged for practicing medicine without a license, fraud and grand theft.
Another case of property crime happened in Washington in 2013, where deputies arrested Adam Joshua Lozon, 26, and John Aaron Wilkins, 21 charged with second degree burglary, felony breaking and entering, two counts of larceny after breaking and entering and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Johnathan Alexander Green, 16, of Washington was charged with second degree burglary, two counts of felony breaking and entering, three counts of larceny after breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering and damage to real property.
Property Crime Punishment
When charged with property crime, there are innocent victims who are unable to afford the damages someone else has caused to their property or asset. Thus they bring the case to court with a hope that the defendant is rightfully punished and compensates for the loss caused to them.
If someone is guilty of crimes against property, they are usually charged with:
- Jail or prison time: The criminal will be sentenced to a certain time period of jail time depending on the magnitude of the crime.
- Restitution: The court will order the offender to repay the victim for their losses from the crime.
- Court costs or fines: This is the fine paid to the court only, not the victim.
- Community supervision: This process is called a probation period where the criminal is allowed to resume life in their community, but is under supervision of a parole officer. If they violate the terms of his probation, he is sent back to court where the case may be reopened.
Conclusion
Property crime is any crime against a person’s property or their personal asset. Common examples of property crime include burglary, robbery, arson, carjacking, vandalism, theft and shoplifting. Usually people indulge in such activities as a part of their revenge against someone, where they’re deliberately trying to cause damage, or other causes are often because of unemployment or poverty.
There are so many cases of property crime in the country, the highest number of cases in Washington D.C and New Mexico. There is definite punishment through court for such felons, but unfortunately there are so many who are able to dodge it and get away. There are only a handful of criminals that are caught and given punishment for their crimes, and the punishment for these are usually imprisonment, incarceration, fines and penalties, depending on the intensity of the crime.
