Crime—an Overview - The "take" From Each Crime

percent value property stolen

In 2002 the value of the goods taken in the average crime varied. Generally, the value of goods taken is very low compared to the risk and consequences of the crime. The majority of those arrested in 2002 netted less than $200. In 37.8 percent of cases the value of the goods taken was under $50 and in 22.6 percent of cases it was between $50 and $200. It was over $200 in 39.6 percent of property crimes. Motor vehicle thefts, which are calculated separately, had the highest average loss of all property crimes in 2002—$6,701—up by 2.2 percent from 2001. The average bank robbery in 2002 netted $4,763, down by 6.5

TABLE 1.6
Ten year arrest trends, by sex, 1993–2002

Male Female
Total Under 18 Total Under 18
Offense charged 1993 2002 Percent change 1993 2002 Percent change 1993 2002 Percent change 1993 2002 Percent change
Total1 6,891,398 6,486,470 +5.9 1,186,822 992,153 −16.4 1,689,892 1,927,513 +14.1 377,504 401,599 +6.4
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter 13,656 7,986 −41.5 2,326 795 −65.8 1,469 947 −35.5 159 91 −42.8
Forcible rape 23,201 17,141 −26.1 3,856 2,782 −27.9 308 253 −17.9 72 105 +45.8
Robbery 88,326 62,330 −29.4 24,263 14,908 −38.6 8,551 7,075 −17.3 2,242 1,430 −36.2
Aggravated assault 272,381 238,780 −12.3 41,055 29,127 −29.1 48,433 60,506 +24.9 8,372 8,955 +7.0
Burglary 227,422 154,642 −32.0 80,681 48,136 −40.3 26,329 23,835 −9.5 8,830 6,257 −29.1
Larceny-theft 645,065 459,358 −28.8 212,145 130,798 −38.3 314,387 270,467 −14.0 95,781 85,636 −10.6
Motor vehicle theft 112,582 78,955 −29.9 49,534 23,777 −52.0 15,970 15,653 −2.0 8,206 4,887 −40.4
Arson 10,847 8,507 −21.6 5,685 4,393 −22.7 1,799 1,548 −14.0 766 564 −26.4
Violent crime2 397,564 326,237 −17.9 71,500 47,612 −33.4 58,761 68,781 +17.1 10,845 10,581 −2.4
Property crime3 995,916 701,462 −29.6 348,045 207,104 −40.5 358,485 311,503 −13.1 113,583 97,344 −14.3
Crime Index4 1,393,480 1,027,699 −26.2 419,545 254,716 −39.3 417,246 380,284 −8.9 124,428 107,925 −13.3
Other assaults 600,914 596,196 −0.8 93,725 97,759 +4.3 132,123 186,098 +40.9 32,764 46,174 +40.9
Forgery and counterfeiting 42,342 43,190 +2.0 3,482 1,949 −44.0 24,022 28,652 +19.3 1,859 1,121 −39.7
Fraud 120,506 105,140 −12.8 4,270 3,472 −18.7 98,189 90,785 −7.5 2,179 1,786 −18.0
Embezzlement 4,631 5,898 +27.4 296 506 +70.9 3,279 5,917 +80.5 214 377 +76.2
Stolen property; buying, receiving, possessing 88,634 63,261 28.6 25,671 13,551 −47.2 12,979 12,876 −0.8 3,137 2,215 −29.4
Vandalism 183,817 141,782 −22.9 88,566 56,527 −36.2 25,278 28,060 +11.0 9,402 8,833 −6.1
Weapons; carrying, possessing, etc. 162,611 96,141 −40.9 39,160 20,123 −48.6 13,387 8,277 −38.2 3,370 2,492 −26.1
Prostitution and commercialized vice 22,728 18,078 −20.5 320 331 +3.4 39,083 33,197 −15.1 435 627 +44.1
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution) 63,068 54,249 −14.0 12,148 11,084 −8.8 6,004 4,944 −17.7 1,239 1,114 −10.1
Drug abuse violations 594,006 798,695 +34.5 65,051 98,383 +51.2 116,916 175,387 +50.0 8,362 18,398 +120.0
Gambling 9,314 5,954 −36.1 1,670 1,022 −38.8 1,034 546 −47.2 45 31 −31.1
Offenses against the family and children 55,344 59,802 +8.1 2,242 3,229 +44.0 12,586 19,257 +53.0 1,278 1,979 +54.9
Driving under the influence 846,497 727,089 −14.1 7,584 10,416 +37.3 137,644 152,121 +10.5 1,294 2,505 +93.6
Liquor laws 252,565 289,770 +14.7 54,032 58,648 +8.5 64,354 95,841 +48.9 21,804 29,926 +37.3
Drunkenness 452,805 313,451 −30.8 9,842 9,047 −8.1 56,738 49,528 −12.7 1,863 2,405 +29.1
Disorderly conduct 384,867 301,613 −21.6 80,673 79,064 −2.0 98,809 97,115 −1.7 23,074 33,780 +46.4
Vagrancy 11,470 12,696 +10.7 1,893 1,023 −46.0 2,111 3,006 +42.4 361 323 −10.5
All other offenses (except traffic) 1,498,770 1,730,296 +15.4 173,623 175,833 +1.3 335,741 479,372 +42.8 48,027 63,338 +31.9
Suspicion 5,200 1,748 −66.4 1,024 512 −50.0 1,031 504 −51.1 215 196 −8.8
Curfew and loitering law violations 49,007 63,454 +29.5 49,007 63,454 +29.5 19,035 28,530 +49.9 19,035 28,530 +49.9
Runaways 54,022 32,016 −40.7 54,022 32,016 −40.7 73,334 47,720 −34.9 73,334 47,720 −34.9
1Does not include suspicion.
2Violent crimes are offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
3Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
4Includes arson.
SOURCE: "Table 33: Ten-Year Arrest Trends by Sex, 1993–2002," in Crime in the United States 2002, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC, 2003

percent from 2001. Robberies of convenience stores resulted in an average of $665 taken in 2002. The average burglary in 2002 resulted in a loss of $1,549, while pocket-picking and purse-snatching accounted for losses averaging $328 and $332, respectively. (See Table 1.8.)

When a criminal steals money, as in the case of a bank robber or purse-snatcher, he or she can usually spend the stolen cash. However, in the case of burglary or motor vehicle theft the criminal almost never collects the total value of the stolen property. While the value of the stolen goods in a typical burglary might be $1,549, the thief has no way to sell it for its real value. He or she usually takes it to a fence (a person who buys and sells stolen goods). The fence may pay as little as 10 percent of the value of the item or items, depending on how easily he or she feels it will be to find a buyer for the stolen property. Thus, a $400 VCR could be worth as little as $40 to the thief.

Recovery Rate for Stolen Property

In 2002 only 36.1 percent of the value of stolen property was recovered. The recovered value of motor vehicles in 2002 was highest, at 63.1 percent, followed by livestock (19.0 percent), clothing and furs (12.5 percent), consumable goods (10.6 percent), and firearms (8.9 percent). Recovery rates for jewelry, precious metals, and office equipment averaged around 5.5 percent in 2002, while theft victims recovered televisions, stereos, and other electronics only 4.2 percent of the time. (See Table 1.9.)

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