SCHOLAR: LARCENY

There are many reasons as to why one might commit theft. I believe the main reason is that they experience a feeling of lack. Whether it’s the lack of wealth or the lack of a thrill, it all boils down to a lack of something. Society should focus on fixing this issue in their attempt to improve the quality of life of their citizens. Theft can be defined as, stealing or larceny. It is taking or carrying away of personal property belonging to another with intentions to permanently deprive the owner of that property permanently. There are two categories of theft and they are theft over and under $5000.00. Theft is one of the most common crimes committed in society. In attempting to understand the thief, there are several types. The amateur, professional, drug- addicted and the female thief. The amateur thief are occasional offenders and they take something from another when they have the opportunity to do so. The professional thief is the thief who takes it very seriously. This person makes a career out of it and takes pride in it. The drug- addicted thief on the other hand, steals because he or she has a lack of a, “high,” and he or she needs their, “fix”. This thief steals to support their habit. Lastly, the female thief is a female who steals for many reasons. These could be shop lifting or forgery and etc. These four different thieves have two things in common, a, they took something and b, it didn’t belong to them. These thieves steal because they are experiencing a lack of something. Shop lifting is the most common type of thieving. This is when a thief steals something from a retail merchant. This costs the industry 3 billion dollars per annum. The reason why this type of theft is so common is because it is a low- risk offense. The probability of getting caught is minimal and the act is very simple. These thieves whether they like it or not operate on a risk to reward basis. They minimize their risks in their attempt to attain a reward. This can also be explained through the rational choice theory where people receive or attempt to maximize their pleasure in that, they steal. The consensus in society is that shop lifting is a minor offense. Another type of theft is motor vehicle theft. This theft is a bit more risky. It involves an individual gaining entry into a car and then hot wiring it so that they can drive off with it. As you see, this theft requires some technical knowledge of machinery. Therefore, this practice is usually associated with the professional thief. The most common place that cars are stolen is at parking lots. It is also known that between 0600H and 1200H are the most common times of day that cars are stolen.