Chapter 2
victimless crimes
involve consensual interactions or behaviors including vagrancy, disorderly conduct, and liquor law violations
The Hierarchy Rule
law enforcement agencies must determine which offense occurs highest in the violent crime/property crime hierarchy and record that offense
victimization surveys
a method for trying to ascertain the level of unreported crime. They ask victims of crime about their experiences
white collar crime
a non-violent criminal offense committed during the course of business for financial gain
deterioration of society
all news is local
arson
fires that are purposely set
National Incident-based Reporting System
gathers data on each criminal act even if several acts are committed within the same complex of behavior
offenses against the person
homicide, sexual assault, robbery, assault
self-report systems
individuals are asked to identify the types of offenses they have committed over the study period
street crime
interpersonal violence and property crime
measurement of crime
interpretation of behaviors by law enforcement
The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
the most extensive and useful measure of crime available
crime rate
the number of Crime Index offenses divided by the population of an area, usually given as a rate of crimes per 100,000 people
omission
when someone fails to act when they should
commission
an act that one commits
patternlessness
anyone at any time; reality
offenses against property
burglary, arson, embezzlement, larceny/theft, and auto theft
corporate crime
committed by a corporation's officer's who pursue illegal activity in the corporation's name
offenses against the public order
drug use, disturbing the peace, drunkenness, prostitution
pointlessness
reality; most have purpose