Criminal Justice Categories of crime

High Tech Crime

This is the newest typology of crime. High-tech crimes directly relate to increased use of computers in everyday life. The Internet has become the site of cyber crime. Some examples include (1) selling pornographic materials, (2) soliciting minors, and (3) defrauding consumers with bogus financial investments.

Public Order Crime

is linked to the consensus model discussed in Chapter one of the textbook. These include outlawed activities that are considered contrary to public values and morals. Most common include public drunkenness, prostitution, gambling, and illicit drug use. Many have called these crimes victimless crimes because they harm only the offender (e.g. prostitution, illegal gambling).

Property Crime

is the most common form of criminal activity, during which the goal of the offender is some form of economic gain or damaging of the property. Here too, there are four general categories of property crime: (1) larceny/theft, (2) burglary, (3) motor vehicle theft, and (4) arson.

White Collar Crime

were first identified by the sociologist Edward Sutherland. While the definition has evolved over time, these are generally considered business-related crimes. White-collar crimes describe illegal acts or a series of acts committed by an individual or business entity using some nonviolent means to obtain a personal or business advantage.

Violent Crimes

are crimes againsts persons, which dominate our perspectives about crime--this is what we think of when asked to discuss 'crime'. There are four general categories of violent crime: (1) murder, (2) sexual assault, (3) assault and battery, and (4) robbery. It's important to note that these acts are also classified by degree, depending on the circumstances surrounding the criminal act.

Organized Crime

describes illegal acts by illegal organizations, usually geared toward satisfying the public's demand for unlawful goods and services. Organized crime implies a conspiratorial and illegal relationship among any number of persons engaged in unlawful acts. Tactics employed by organized criminals include: (1) violence, (2) corruption, and (3) intimidation for economic gain. The hierarchical structure of organized crime operations often mirrors that of legitimate businesses.