Chapter 10
• Crimes Against Property
Crimes Against Property
ARSON: the willful and malicious burning of a person’s
property, often with the intent to defraud insurance companies
VALDALISM: “malicious mischief” –willful
destruction of, or damage to, the property of another
Quick Review
1) Why do young people sometimes commit acts of vandalism?
2) What, if anything, can be done to reduce vandalism?
3) Should parents be held criminally responsible for willful damage
caused by their children? WHY or WHY NOT?
4) If you saw two students throwing rocks through the windows of a
school at night, would you report the students to the police? WHY
or WHY NOT?
5) Suppose you saw two friends throwing rocks through the window
of a neighbor’s home. Would you report your friends to the police?
WHY or WHY NOT?
*** Did you answer the two questions the same way? If not,
explain why.
Crimes Against Property
• LARCENY: the unlawful taking and carrying
away of the property of another person against
his/her will with intent to permanently deprive the
owner of it.
• SHOPLIFTING: taking items from stores
without paying for them
Quick Review
1) Why do you think people shoplift? Why do so many
teens shoplift? List the reasons
2) What could be done to address each of the reasons for
shoplifting you listed? Which would be most effective?
WHY
3) IF you saw a stranger shoplifting in a store, what would
you do? Would your answer be different if you knew the
person?
4) A movie star is caught shoplifting thousands of dollars
worth of merchandise. It is her first offense. What
penalty should she receive? Would the penalty you
recommend be different if she were not famous?
Book Assignment
• Read page 118 in your “Street Law” book
• Answer the questions below
1) What human rights might the teenagers claim are being
violated by the searches?
2) What human rights might Mr. Zimmerman claim are
being violated by the shoplifting?
3) Whose human rights are more important in this situation?
EXPLAIN
4) Write a 1 to 2 page script between Mr. Zimmerman, his
security guards, and the teens. What options might Mr.
Zimmerman have for addressing the problem of
shoplifting in his store? Were these or any options used in
your script?
Crimes Against Property
• EMBEZZLEMENT: the unlawful taking
of property by someone to whom it was
entrusted
• ROBBERY: the unlawful taking of property
from a person’s immediate possession by force
or intimidation (involves both theft and force)
• EXTORTION: “BLACKMAIL” the use of
threats to obtain the property of another
(physical harm, destroy property, injure
someone’s character/reputation)
Crimes Against Property
(continued)
• BURGLARY: the unauthorized entry into any structure
with the intent to commit a crime. Penalties are stiffer is a weapon
was used, a person was present)
• FORGERY:
when a person falsely makes or alters
a writing or document with intent to defraud
• RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY:
if you receive or buy property that you know or have
reason to believe is stolen
Ivan met up with his friend Anthony, who was driving a flashy new
red convertible. Ivan knew that neither Anthony nor his family
owned this car, but it looked good so he got in and let Anthony take
him for a ride. Ivan also knew that Anthony used drugs and
sometimes took other people’s things and sold them to get money to
buy cocaine. Anthony offered to sell Ivan an MP3 player he had in
the back seat of the car for $40. Ivan agreed to pay him the money.
1) Have any crime been committed? If so, which crimes and
by whom?
2) Why does society make receiving stolen property a crime?
Should it be?
3) Would you ever buy something for an extremely low price
from a friend? How would you know for sure it was not
stolen?
Crimes Against Property
(continued)
• UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A
VEHICLE: “JOYRIDING” the unauthorized
temporary taking of a vehicle “CARJACKING” use of force or
intimidation to steal a car from a driver
• CYBERCRIME: “COMPUTER CRIME” covers a
wide range of crimes in which a computer is used (theft, stalking,
spamming, denial-of-service, hacking, illegal downloads,
possession of types of pornography, phishing, viruses)
• Open your book to p.125. Answer A-H
Cybercrime
• Cybercrimes often don’t fit into traditional crime laws
HACKERS
– ?? Are hackers criminals or creative crusaders who point out flaws in they
systems??
• What motivates hackers
COMPUTER SEARCHES
- Federal officials and law enforcement must get a search warrant before
seizing or reading any electronic mail
- Private employers
Identity Theft
Despite the great benefits our society has gained from technological
developments, technology has also spawned the development of a new type
of crime – “IDENTITY THEFT”
They steal a piece of personal information such as your SS#, your bank account
number, or a credit card number and use it to commit fraud or further theft.
Everyday actions like throwing out your garbage, sending a rent check to your
landlord, or ordering a book online can put you at risk
If someone steals and uses your personal information, it can cost you hundreds
or thousands of dollars. It can also cost you your credit rating and good
name, not to mention hours of time and stress to clear up the problem
While we cannot completely stop identity theft, there are things you can do to
protect yourself and minimize your exposure to this crime
Methods of Identity Theft
• Dumpster Diving – rummage through trash
• Skimming – Steal credit/debit card numbers when your card
is processed
• Phishing – Pretend to be a financial institution to get you to
reveal your personal information
• Changing Your Address – Divert your mail to another
address steal information
• Old-Fashioned Stealing – Steal wallets/purses to gain
access to information
• Pretexting – Obtain your information from other sources,
like businesses, phone companies, etc
Identity Theft
What can you do?
Check your Credit Report
Be wary of any unsolicited or unfamiliar emails
Protect your personal information in your home
Create passwords that are not easy to guess
DO NOT give personal info out unless you are very sure of who
you are dealing with
Guard your mail and trash from theft
DO NOT carry your SS card with you and avoid giving out your
SS#
Pay attention to your bank, credit card, charge card statements.
Report any inconsistencies
Ch 8-10 Essays
1) What does the “STATE” have to prove
to convict a person of a crime? Give
specific examples
2) Identify what a CRIME AGAINST A
PERSON is and give 3 specific
examples
3) Identify what a CRIME AGAINST
PROPERTY is and give3 specific
examples