CHAPTER 12
Crimes Against Property
Chapter 12 Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each of the following.
1. Which of the following is not one of the major property crimes, according to the FBI?
a. Burglary
b. Arson
c. Motor vehicle theft
d. Robbery
2. According to UCR and NIBRS data, most burglaries involve ________ entry.
a. forcible
b. lawful
c. unlawful
d. attempted forcible
3. Which of the following is most likely to be a low-level burglary?
a. A juvenile who commits crimes impulsively, usually works with others, and is easily
deterred by security devices such as alarms
b. An adult who works in an organized crew and earns a good living from burglary
c. A young adult who uses alcohol and drugs, lacks connections to permit dealing in
stolen goods on a large scale, but is not easily deterred by security devices.
4. Which of the following is not one of the main ways residential burglars generally select their
targets?
a. They have some knowledge of the occupants
b. They make a spur of the moment selection
c. They receive information from a tipster
d. They observe a potential target
5. During the 1980s, the parallel rates of robbery and burglary began to diverge. These changes
have been linked to
a. changes in the unemployment rate.
b. improvements in the national economy.
c. an increased demand for crack cocaine.
d. increased levels of police corruption.
6. Most employee theft of cash or merchandise is committed by _________ employees.
a. short-term
b. long-term
c. high-level
d. permanent
7. One of the best ways to address both shoplifting and employee theft is through
a. security personnel.
b. technology.
c. increasingly severe penalties.
d. warning notices.
8. The 1998 Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act
a. criminalized identity theft.
b. made identity theft a federal crime
c. increased prison sentences for criminals convicted of various types of identity theft.
d. mandated the imposition of restitution when sentencing offenders convicted of identity
theft.
9. Which of the following is not included in the BJS definition of identity theft?
a. The unauthorized use or attempted use of existing credit cards
b. The misuse of personal information to obtain new accounts or loans
c. The misuse of cash obtained through fraudulent means
d. The unauthorized use or attempted use of other existing accounts
10. Which of the following vehicles is not included in the UCR’s definition of motor vehicle
theft? a. Automobiles
b. Motorcycles
c. Snowmobiles
d. Airplanes
11. Which of the following is not a motivation for motor vehicle theft?
a. Stripping
b. Use in a crime
c. Revenge against the vehicle’s owner
d. Temporary transportation needs
12. The primary motivation for the crime of joyriding is
a. profit.
b. fun.
c. to meet a long-term need for transportation.
d. to meet an immediate need for transportation.
13. Which of the following statement about professional auto theft is false?
a. Professional auto thieves engage in more planning in target selection
b. Professional thefts have the lowest recovery rates
c. Professionals are a significant part of the vehicle theft problem
d. Professional thefts are less common than joyriding
14. Which of the following would be included in the FBI’s arson statistics?
a. Fires classified as arson by the proper investigative authorities
b. Fires of suspicious origin
c. Fires of unknown origin
d. All of the above are included
15. The majority of individuals involved in arson are
a. juveniles.
b. young adults.
c. middle-aged individuals.
d. senior citizens
16. Young children under the age of seven generally start fires
a. due to underlying psychosocial conflicts.
b. for revenge.
c. for personal motives.
d. accidentally.
17. Children between the ages of 8 and 12 mainly start fires
a. accidentally.
b. due to underlying psychosocial conflicts.
c. for revenge.
d. for money.
18. According to Neil Shover, ___________ criminals commit crime with some degree of skill
and earn reasonably well from their crimes.
a. professional
b. persistent
c. avocational
d. occasional
19. Malcolm Kline used the term __________ to refer to the heterogeneous and unplanned
nature of offending found among gang members.
a. professional criminal activity
b. offense specialization
c. cafeteria-style offending
d. persistent offending
20. According to Alfred Blumstein, the __________ period is not one of the three distinct phases
of a criminal career in property offending.
a. break-in
b. acceleration
c. burnout
d. stable
21. During the __________ period of a property offender’s criminal career, rehabilitation efforts
are most likely to fail.
a. break-in
b. acceleration
c. burnout
d. stable
22. Property crimes are often investigated from the perspective of __________ theories.
a. biosocial
b. classical
c. rational choice
d. integrated
23. A fence commits the crime of
a. burglary.
b. receiving stolen property.
c. robbery.
d. larceny-theft.
24. Which of the following is not one of the crucial defining characteristics of a professional
fence identified by to Darrell Steffensmeier?
a. A professional fence has direct contact with thieves
b. A professional fence buys and sells stolen goods regularly and persistently
c. A professional fence is recognized as a fence by thieves and by the police
d. A professional fence has access to large amounts of ready cash
25. A(n) ___________ receiver is most likely to be used by high-level burglars.
a. professional
b. avocational
c. amateur
d. episodic
26. A fence specializes in stolen video games, which he integrates into the legitimate inventory
in the video game store he operates. This makes him a(n) _________ fence.
a. generalist
b. fully covered
c. partly covered
d. noncovered
27. __________ receivers generally buy stolen property on a small scale, primarily for personal
use. a. Professional
b. Avocational
c. Amateur
d. Episodic
Chapter 12 True-False
Choose whether each statement is true or false.
1. Larceny and burglary are legally the same crime.
a. True
b. False
2. The target of a burglary is a structure.
a. True
b. False
3. Low-income households are at a very low risk of burglary victimization.
a. True
b. False
4. An offender who steals items for sexual gratification rather than for economic gain is known
as a voyeuristic burglar.
a. True
b. False
5. Larceny is often a crime of opportunity.
a. True
b. False
6. Flash mob larcenies are multiple-offender crimes.
a. True
b. False
7. New account fraud is the more common type of identity theft.
a. True
b. False
8. Foreign organized crime groups are becoming more heavily involved in identity theft.
a. True
b. False
9. The most commonly stolen motor vehicle is a car.
a. True
b. False
10. There is a clear link between social class and juvenile involvement in auto theft.
a. True
b. False
11. Theft by a professional auto thief is the most common type of auto theft.
a. True
b. False
12. The FBI classifies fires that are of suspicious or unknown origin as arson.
a. True
b. False
13. The majority of those involved in arson are juveniles.
a. True
b. False
14. Offense specialization is common among property offenders.
a. True
b. False
15. Cafeteria-style offending describes offending among gang members.
a. True
b. False
16. According to Alfred Blumstein, property offenders are most committed to a criminal career
during the stable phase.
a. True
b. False
17. The use of a fence is the most common method of disposing of stolen goods for most thieves.
a. True
b. False
18. The majority of professional fences are involved in a legitimate business that acts as a cover
for criminal activities.
a. True
b. False
19. Fully covered fences do not deal in stolen goods that are outside the inventory of their
legitimate business.
a. True
b. False
20. Avocational receivers are usually professional fences.
a. True
b. False
Chapter 12 Fill in the Blank
Fill in the correct answer for each of the following.
1. According to Mike Maguire’s typology, ________ burglars are professionals.
2. The goal of a(n) __________ burglar may be only to look around, not to actually take
anything.
3. The most frequently-occurring property crime is __________.
4. __________ account fraud occurs when identity thieves use personal information to open
accounts in the victim’s name and make charges indiscriminately.
5. Removing air bags, radios, seats, and other parts from a stolen car is known as __________.
6. Regardless of motive, the vast majority of individuals involved in arson are ________.
7. According to Neil Shover, __________ criminals commit crime with some degree of skill,
earn reasonably well from their crimes, and spend rather little time incarcerated.
8. The final phase of a property offender’s criminal career is known as the __________ period.
9. A professional fence who deals in only certain types of stolen goods is known as a(n)
__________.
10. A public school teacher who got a good deal on stolen items from a student is a(n)
__________ receiver.
Chapter 12 Matching
1. Match the following property crimes to their definitions
1. Larceny-theft
a. The theft or attempted theft of a motor
vehicle
2. Burglary
b. An individual involved in the buying,
selling, and distributing of stolen goods
3. Arson
c. The unlawful entry of a structure to commit
a felony or theft
4. Motor vehicle theft
d. The willful or malicious burning of
property of another.
5. Fencing
e. The unlawful taking of property from the
possession of another.
2. Match the following terms to their definitions
1. Persistent thief
a. A preference for a certain type of criminal
offense
2. Offense specialization
b. A person whose property crimes are guided
mainly by opportunity
3. Professional criminal
c. A person who continues to commit
property crimes despite not having a high
level of success
4. Occasional offender
d. A person who makes a living from property
crimes and engages in offending that is
planned
1. c
Chapter 12 Essay
Answer the following questions.
1. List and define the four major property crimes, according to the FBI.
2. Explain how residential burglars select their targets.
3. What is identity theft? What are the two main categories of identity theft?
Chapter 12 Critical Thinking
Answer the following questions.
1. Explore the concept of burglary within a sexual context. Compare this type of burglary with
traditional burglary.