Deck 11: Property Crimes

Question 1

What type of crime is defined as a violation of the criminal law, designed to bring financial reward to an offender?

A) economic
B) expressive
C) institutional
D) integrated

Answer 1

economic

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of an economic crime?

A) using a controlled substance
B) buying a controlled substance
C) possession of a controlled substance
D) selling a controlled substance

Answer 2

selling a controlled substance

Question 3

As of 2012, how has the Canadian property crime rate changed, when compared to the rate from 2002?

A) property crimes have increased
B) property crimes have decreased
C) rate of property crime remained stable
D) there is no data available to calculate

Answer 3

property crimes have decreased

Question 4

Why does the general public feel ambivalent about economic criminals?

A) So many members of society have themselves been involved in economic crimes.
B) Most victims are insured and do not suffer economic losses.
C) Economic crimes are very rare and do not cause harm
D) Economic criminals are usually poor and need the money from their crimes to survive.

Question 5

What Canadian province has the lowest robbery rate?

A) Manitoba
B) Ontario
C) British Columbia
D) Prince Edward Island

Question 6

What group is most likely to be burglarized?

A) groups with lower socioeconomic status
B) groups who reside in rural areas
C) groups with higher socioeconomic status
D) groups who own their own homes

Question 7

Common theft-related offences, such as auto-theft, may be referred to as what type of crime?

A) situational
B) occasional
C) street
D) predictable

Question 8

What were the public meeting places of eighteenth-century criminal gangs called?

A) roadhouses
B) flash houses
C) brothel-houses
D) stable houses

Question 9

Which term refers to a thief who lived in the country and supplemented his diet with game that belonged to his landlord?

A) poacher
B) smuggler
C) thief-taker
D) rustler

Question 10

Which term refers to a thief who moved freely in low populated areas and transported goods without paying tax or duty?

A) poacher
B) smuggler
C) thief-taker
D) rustler

Question 11

Who was also known as the "Thief-Taker General of Great Britain and Ireland"?

A) Vincent Swaggi
B) Travis Hirschi
C) Edgar Poe
D) Jack Wild

Question 12

In the eighteenth century in England, what was identified as being the cause of the increase in crime?

A) an increase in the population of urban poor
B) an increase in the population of urban wealthy
C) a decrease in the population of urban poor
D) a decrease in the population of urban wealthy

Question 13

What is a characteristic of occasional criminals?

A) They do not view themselves as committed career criminals.
B) They receive informal, peer group support for their crimes.
C) They engage in repetitive convictional rationalization to overcome guilt.
D) They incorporate a secret criminal identity into their daily activities.

Question 14

Who provided London area law enforcement in the eighteenth century?

A) crime corporals
B) thief takers
C) thief snatchers
D) London police

Question 15

Which statement best describes a thief-taker in the eighteenth century?

A) They used non-violent methods to apprehend their targets.
B) Prior to becoming a thief-taker most worked as farmers.
C) They were trustworthy and honest.
D) Part of their income was derived from stolen property from prisoners.

Question 16

What is another term for those who provided London area law enforcement?

A) crime helpers
B) intimidator
C) corruption guru
D) monied police

Question 17

According to the General Social Survey, there has been a steady decline in the number of thefts reported to the police. Which of the following was identified as a possible reason why a victim is less likely to report a theft to police?

A) The victim felt it was not important enough.
B) The victim felt that the police would make things more complicated.
C) The victim did not trust the police.
D) The victim felt it was too much effort to contact the police.

Question 18

What type of criminal is a tax cheat an example of?

A) rebellious
B) occasional
C) property
D) professional

Question 19

According to routine activity theory, occasional property crime occurs when there is an opportunity to commit crime. Which term describes this situation?

A) motivational indicator
B) situational inducement
C) character flaw
D) criminal prompt

Question 20

Why are lower classes thought to be overrepresented in street crime statistics?

A) They are biologically predisposed to commit violent crime.
B) Society is structured to ensure they are caught at such crimes.
C) Those types of crimes are the ones they have an opportunity to commit.
D) These crimes are suited to the lower-class lifestyle.

Question 21

Which of the following is an example of a crime that a member of the upper class is likely to commit?

A) pickpocketing
B) burglary
C) bribery
D) shoplifting

Question 22

Mr. Lawson is a building inspector. Six months ago he accepted money to look the other way on some building code infractions. Mr. Lawson does not consider himself a criminal because this is the only time he has ever done anything like this. What type of criminal is Mr. Lawson an example of?

A) professional
B) occasional
C) experienced
D) modern

Question 23

Joel is hanging out with his friends at the shopping mall. Joel's friends dare him to steal a DVD from a store. They say they have all done it. Wanting to impress his friends, Joel decides to seal the DVD. What type of situational inducement is this an example of?

A) Psychological
B) Physiological
C) Social
D) Societal

Question 24

Seasonality contributes to the opportunity to commit crime. How much more crime occurs in the summer than in the winter?

A) almost 10 percent more
B) almost 15 percent more
C) almost 25 percent more
D) almost 50 percent more

Question 25

What type of criminal sees their transgressions as being "out of character" and motivated by necessity?

A) career
B) professional
C) occasional
D) necessity

Question 26

What type of criminal may be most likely to respond to general deterrent effects of the law due to their lack of commitment?

A) professional
B) occasional
C) lazy
D) career

Question 27

What type of criminal would be likely to participate in pocket-picking, burglary, shoplifting, forgery and counterfeiting, extortion, sneak theft, and confidence swindling?

A) occasional
B) professional
C) career
D) fence

Question 28

Who wrote The Professional Thief?

A) Travis Hirschi
B) Edwin Sutherland
C) John Hepburn
D) Carl Klockars

Question 29

What was Sutherland and Conwell's term for a pickpocket?

A) pennyweighter
B) heel
C) cannon
D) snitch

Question 30

How does a heel "earn" a living?

A) pickpocketing
B) sneak thieving from stores
C) shoplifting
D) forging

Question 31

What is the profession of a booster?

A) pickpocket
B) sneak thief from stores
C) shoplifter
D) extortionist

Question 32

What type of thief is a pennyweighter?

A) a jewel thief who makes fake gem substitutions for real ones
B) a shoplifter who leaves his or her own clothes in place of the new ones worn out of the store
C) a pickpocket who is interested in only money, not jewellery
D) a social climber who dances with rich older women and removes their necklaces during the dance

Question 33

Which statement best describes a professional thief?

A) They often use rationalizations to excuse the harm they caused.
B) Their criminal acts are often impulsive and unplanned.
C) They are likely to respond well to general deterrence methods.
D) They learn from peers techniques that will create the greatest gains for the least amount of risk.

Question 34

What is the most important rule in the professional thief's code of honour?

A) Never show fear.
B) Never squeal on your partners.
C) Never steal from a fellow criminal.
D) Never use force to steal.

Question 35

What type of crime involves buying and reselling stolen merchandise?

A) stooping
B) fencing
C) boosting
D) heeling

Question 36

What was the alias of the fence that Carl Klockars studied?

A) Chic Conwell
B) Al Capone
C) Jack Wild
D) Vincent Swaggi

Question 37

What did Klockars's professional fence owe part of his success to?

A) He had a sophisticated knowledge of the law of stolen property.
B) His reputation was far reaching regarding the number of rivals he had killed.
C) He limited his business dealing to only those he could trust.
D) He fenced only for the police.

Question 38

How did Klockars's professional fence maintain close working relations with influential members of the justice system?

A) He contributed heavily to their political campaigns.
B) He blackmailed them when their children brought stolen goods to him.
C) He helped them purchase items at below-cost bargain prices.
D) He arranged for their residences to be burglarized if they angered him.

Question 39

Klockars's work suggests that fences cooperate with law enforcement. What else does Klockars's research suggest fences do?

A) They act as informers to catch thieves.
B) They rarely deal with cash because it is traceable.
C) They take jobs as dock workers to scout potential goods.
D) They deal in narcotics but don't use them.

Question 40

According to professional fence Sam Goodman, the criminal studied by Darrell Steffensmeier, how does the professional fence finance his business deals?

A) He gives credit to his clients until they bring in stolen merchandise.
B) All deals are in cash; no cheques are accepted or credit extended.
C) His clients leave merchandise on consignment until Goodman can sell it.
D) Each party has a mutual trust for one another because they are professionals.

Question 41

Who gets the highest return on their stolen goods from the fence?

A) the professional thief who steals high-priced items
B) the Walmart shoplifter
C) juveniles
D) drug addicts

Question 42

How do fences differ from professional thieves?

A) Fences rarely use violence.
B) Fences rely exclusively on their manual dexterity
C) Fences are more likely to cooperate with the authorities.
D) Fences front better than thieves.

Question 43

According to your text, which of the following accounted for 78 percent of all frauds and cost over $300 each?

A) online auction fraud
B) writing bad cheques
C) swindling
D) hustling

Question 44

What type of nonprofessional fence trades services for stolen goods?

A) neighbourhood hustler
B) associational fence
C) junkman
D) amateur receiver

Question 45

In which of the following does bartering for stolen merchandise avoid taxes and become a transaction?

A) mainstream economy
B) criminal neighbourhoods
C) amateur venues
D) underground economy

Question 46

What is the term for someone who buys stolen property, keeps some of the booty for him- or herself, and then sells the rest to members of the neighbourhood?

A) amateur receiver
B) part-timer
C) neighbourhood hustler
D) community fencer

Question 47

What are complete strangers called when, in a fencing transaction, they are approached in a public place by someone offering a great deal on valuable commodities?

A) unwilling participants
B) unsuspecting prey
C) amateur receivers
D) shark bait

Question 48

The intentional misappropriation of property for personal gain links together several categories of a generic crime. What generic crime is this?

A) robbery
B) theft
C) burglary
D) embezzlement

Question 49

Which law is defined as the "trespassory taking and carrying away of the personal property of another with intent to steal"?

A) grand theft auto
B) larceny
C) fencing
D) fraud

Question 50

Which of the following is synonymous with larceny?

A) theft
B) robbery
C) fencing
D) assault

Question 51

According to the original common-law definition of larceny, what did the term "trespass in the taking" refer to?

A) taking goods from the physical possession of the owner
B) entering a person's home to commit the crime
C) entering a person's land to commit the crime
D) taking goods that a person entrusts to the care of another

Question 52

The original definition of larceny did not include crimes in which the thief had come into the possession of the stolen property through which means?

A) illegal means
B) trickery or deceit
C) mastery of another crime
D) trespassing

Question 53

Which of the following best exemplifies the purpose of the original definition of larceny?

A) maintaining the peace
B) preventing loss of property
C) preventing deceitful practices
D) preventing the development of a fencing ring

Question 54

What legal concept did English judges create to circumvent the trespass-in-the-taking standard?

A) mens rea
B) legislative intent
C) constructive possession
D) nondelegable authority

Question 55

The brakes on Janice's car need to be replaced. Janice takes her car to the mechanic to have the repairs completed. What concept is this an example of?

A) illegal possession
B) confidence games
C) constructive possession
D) false pretences

Question 56

A person leaves his watch with a jeweller who then sells it to a fence. Can this be a larceny since the owner voluntarily gave the watch to the jeweller?

A) No, because the act was a voluntary transmittal.
B) No, because it is really the crime of embezzlement.
C) Yes, because although a voluntary act it is still the customer's watch.
D) Yes, because the owner was in constructive possession of the watch.

Question 57

What is the primary factor that distinguishes categories of theft?

A) whether or not the offence occurred in a commercial establishment
B) the monetary value of the property or cash amount that is taken
C) if the property or cash was taken from the original owner or a third party
D) whether or not the offence involved fraud or forgery

Question 58

What is the most commonly reported offence in both official data and self-reports?

A) illegal substance abuse
B) theft
C) speeding
D) forgery of cheques

Question 59

What season has the highest theft rate?

A) winter
B) spring
C) summer
D) fall

Question 60

What demographic population is most likely to be a victim of theft?

A) young children
B) young adults
C) middle-aged adults
D) seniors

Question 61

What location is a motor vehicle most likely to be stolen from?

A) parking lot
B) residence
C) street
D) car dealership

Question 62

Approximately what proportion of shoppers shoplift?

A) 1 in 5
B) 1 in 6
C) 1 in 9
D) 1 in 20

Question 63

According to research, what percentage of shoplifters can be considered professional?

A) 5
B) 10
C) 60
D) 80

Question 64

What term is used by professional thieves to describe an amateur shoplifter?

A) booster
B) heel
C) shark
D) snitch

Question 65

While shopping at Walmart Leslie sees a display for the newest videogame and recognizes the opportunity to make some money as she has done in the past. There are no store employees or other shoppers around, so Leslie puts three copies of the videogame into her purse. Leslie knows that the game is very popular and knows that her friend Rob has a number of people who would be interested in buying a copy. What type of shoplifter is Leslie an example of?

A) booster
B) snitch
C) pennyweighter
D) cannon

Question 66

What do criminologists think shoplifters will likely do if apprehended?

A) reform
B) become mentally ill from the stigma of labelling
C) shoplift more out of spite
D) sue for false arrest

Question 67

What does research show that customers are most likely to do if they witness a shoplifting?

A) Mimic the shoplifting technique.
B) Attempt to apprehend the shoplifter themselves.
C) Fail to report it to store employees.
D) Leave the store immediately.

Question 68

According to research, what type of person is most likely to be prosecuted for shoplifting?

A) senior citizen
B) child
C) juvenile
D) blue-collar worker

Question 69

What does a "merchant's privilege law" provide?

A) the use of two-way mirrors
B) the recovery of damages in civil court
C) the use of store detectives
D) protection from false arrest charges

Question 70

What is a target removal strategy for shoplifting?

A) selling from catalogues and keeping the merchandise in a stockroom
B) locking merchandise into place
C) using closed-circuit cameras to monitor high-ticket items
D) armed security guards

Question 71

What term refers to the theft prevention strategy of locking goods into place to make it harder for thieves to get them?

A) target softening
B) private justice
C) target removal
D) target hardening

Question 72

What type of theft prevention strategy is the use of warning signs to deter criminals from theft?

A) situational measure
B) target removal
C) target hardening
D) discouragement

Question 73

Which of the following is an example of a target removal strategy to prevent shoplifting?

A) a clothing store attaching security tags to expensive clothing items
B) an electronic store displaying empty boxes of merchandise, such as DVDs or video games
C) a jewellery store displaying a sign indicating there are security cameras on site
D) a big box store chaining valuable display items, such as cell phones and tablets, to the display case

Question 74

What type of shoplifting prevention strategy is the act of posting signs in department stores to alert shoppers that there are closed-circuit security cameras recording their movements in the store?

A) target removal
B) target hardening
C) situational measures
D) removal prevention

Question 75

What kind of private justice is enacted when shoplifters are required to compensate store owners for the value of the goods they attempted to steal, costs incurred because of illegal acts, and punitive damages?

A) cost stabilization
B) cost recovery
C) correctional sourcing
D) rehabilitative retribution

Question 76

Justin is interested in buying a new cell phone. He sees a cell phone he is interested in on display; however, when he tries to remove it from the stand on the display case he realizes that it is chained to the display case. What type of shoplifting prevention strategy is this an example of?

A) target removal
B) target hardening
C) situational measures
D) removal prevention

Question 77

Which Canadian province has the highest rate of auto theft?

A) Ontario
B) Manitoba
C) Quebec
D) Saskatchewan

Question 78

Which statement best describes the chances of recovery for stolen cars today, compared to 30 years ago?

A) Chances have increased.
B) Chances have decreased.
C) Chances have remained relatively stable.
D) Cars are rarely recovered.

Question 79

A New Brunswick teenager steals a car in order to take it to Ontario to visit his parents; after his vacation he steals another car to get home. What type of auto theft is this an example of?

A) joyriding
B) closure
C) short-term transportation
D) long-term transportation

Question 80

Highly organized professionals resell expensive cars after altering their identification numbers and falsifying their registration papers. What type of auto theft is this an example of?

A) commission of another crime
B) long-term transportation
C) profit
D) joyriding