Larceny-theft: content revised 02/17/06.Definition The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR (Under Color Removal) A method for reducing the amount of printing ink used. It substitutes black for gray color (equal amounts of cyan, magenta and yellow). Thus black ink is used instead of the three CMY inks. See GCR and dot gain. ) Program defines larceny-theft as the unlawful Contrary to or unauthorized by law; illegal. When applied to promises, agreements, or contracts, the term denotes that such agreements have no legal effect. The law disapproves of such conduct because it is immoral or contrary to public policy. taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession constructive possession n. when a person does not have actual possession, but has the power to control an asset, he/she has constructive possession. Having the key to a safe deposit box, for example, gives one constructive possession. (See: constructive) of another; attempts to do these acts are included in the definition. This crime category includes shoplifting Ask a Lawyer Question Country: United States of America State: Florida caught shoplifting at sears 12/05/05, first time, 20yearsold, have no criminal record. , pocket-picking, purse-snatching, thefts from motor vehicles, thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories, bicycle bicycle, light, two-wheeled vehicle driven by pedals. The name velocipede is often given to early forms of the bicycle and to its predecessor, the dandy horse, a two-wheeled vehicle moved by the thrust of the rider's feet upon the ground. thefts, and so forth, in which no use of force, violence, or fraud occurs. Excluded from larceny-theft is motor vehicle theft Motor vehicle theft or grand theft auto is a criminal act of theft generally understood to refer to the stealing of automobiles, buses, motorcycles, snowmobiles, trucks, trailers or any other motorized vehicle legally allowed on public roads and highways, including attempted , which is classified in a separate offense category; also excluded are crimes that involve embezzlement embezzlement, wrongful use, for one's own selfish ends, of the property of another when that property has been legally entrusted to one. Such an act was not larceny at common law because larceny was committed only when property was acquired by a "felonious taking," i. , confidence games, forgery forgery, in art forgery, in art, the false claim to authenticity for a work of art. The Nature of Forgery Because the provenance of works of art is seldom clear and because their origin is often judged by means of subtle factors, art , and worthless checks--all of which are UCR Part II offenses.
Trend
Rate per 100,000
Year Number of offenses inhabitants
2003 7,026,802 2,416.5
2004 6,947,685 2,365.9
Percent change -1.1 -2.1
National Volume, Trends, and Rates In 2004, larceny-theft accounted for an estimated 67.3 percent of the Nation's property crimes. (See Table 1.) Trend data showed that the number of larceny-thefts decreased 1.1 percent from the 2003 estimate, a slight 0.3 percent from the 2000 estimate, and 13.1 percent from the 1995 estimate. Two-, 5-, and 10-year trend data also showed a decline in the frequency of larceny-theft per 100,000 inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. . With an estimated 6,947,685 occurrences of this offense in 2004, there were 2,365.9 larceny larceny, in law, the unlawful taking and carrying away of the property of another, with intent to deprive the owner of its use or to appropriate it to the use of the perpetrator or of someone else. thefts per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide. This rate reflects declines of 2.1 percent from the 2003 estimate, 4.5 percent from the 2000 estimate, and 22.3 percent from the 1995 estimate. (See Tables 1 and 1A.) Regional Offense Trends and Rates The UCR Program defines four regions within the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. : the Northeast “Northeastern” redirects here. For the Boston college, see Northeastern University, Boston. Northeast or north east is the ordinal direction halfway between north and east. It is the opposite of southwest. See boxing the compass. , the Midwest Midwest or Middle West, region of the United States centered on the western Great Lakes and the upper-middle Mississippi valley. It is a somewhat imprecise term that has been applied to the northern section of the land between the Appalachians , the South, and the West. (See Appendix appendix, small, worm-shaped blind tube, about 3 in. (7.6 cm) long and 1-4 in. to 1 in. (.64–2.54 cm) thick, projecting from the cecum (part of the large intestine) on the right side of the lower abdominal cavity. III for a geographical ge·o·graph·ic also ge·o·graph·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to geography. 2. Concerning the topography of a specific region. ge description of each region.) A comparison of 2003 and 2004 data showed that both the estimated number and the estimated rate of larceny-theft offenses declined across all regions. (See Tables 3 and 4.) The following paragraphs provide a regional overview of larceny-theft. The Northeast The region with the smallest proportion (18.6 percent) of the U.S. population in 2004, the Northeast experienced the fewest larceny-theft offenses nationwide: an estimated 13.1 percent. (See Table 3.) The estimated number of offenses (907,670) declined 0.6 percent compared with 2003 data, and the estimated rate of occurrences (1,663.3 per 100,000 inhabitants) declined 0.9 percent. (See Table 4.) The Midwest Accounting for 22.4 percent of the population in 2004, the Midwest had an estimated 21.7 percent of the Nation's larceny-thefts. (See Table 3.) The estimated number of offenses (1,507,171) declined 2.3 percent compared with 2003 data, and the estimated rate of occurrences (2,293.0 per 100,000 inhabitants) declined 2.8 percent. (See Table 4.) The South With more than one-third of the U.S. population (36.1 percent) in 2004, the South had the Nation's highest percentage of larceny-theft offenses: an estimated 41.3 percent. (See Table 3.) There were an estimated 2,870,994 offenses, which reflected a 0.8-percent decline from the 2003 estimate. The rate, estimated at 2,709.9 larceny-thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, decreased 2.1 percent from the 2003 estimated rate. (See Table 4.) The West In 2004, an estimated 23.0 percent of the U.S. population lived in the West, which accounted for 23.9 percent of the Nation's larceny-theft offenses. (See Table 3.) Occurrences of this offense declined 0.9 percent from the 2003 data, down to an estimated 1,661,850 larceny-theft offenses. The rate, estimated at 2,465.3 larceny-thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, declined 2.3 percent. (See Table 4.) Community Types The UCR Program aggregates crime data by three community types: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), cities outside MSAs, and nonmetropolitan counties. By definition, an MSA (Metropolitan Service Area) An urban area with at least 50,000 people plus surrounding counties. There are 306 MSAs and 428 RSAs (rural service areas) in the U.S. MSAs and RSAs are used to allocate cellular licenses. has a principal city with at least 50,000 inhabitants. It includes the county that contains the principal city and adjacent counties that share a high degree of economic and social integration with the principal city and county as measured by commuting. Cities outside the MSAs are mostly incorporated areas, and nonmetropolitan counties are composed of unincorporated areas In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, i.e., a city or town with its own government. . (For additional information regarding community types, see Appendix III.) In 2004, most of the Nation's population (an estimated 82.9 percent) lived in the MSAs, where an estimated 86.7 percent of the larceny-theft offenses occurred. Cities outside the MSAs (with 6.8 percent of the population) had 8.9 percent of the offenses, and nonmetropolitan counties (with 10.4 percent of the population) had an estimated 4.4 percent of the offenses. (Based on Table 2.) Population Groups: Trends and Rates To calculate 2-year trend data for population groups, the UCR Program reviewed reports from all agencies that submitted statistics on larceny-theft offenses for at least 6 common months in 2003 and 2004. (For an explanation of population groups and the number of agencies contributing to the UCR Program, see Appendix III; for the methodology used in tabular tab·u·lar adj. 1. Having a plane surface; flat. 2. Organized as a table or list. 3. Calculated by means of a table. tabular resembling a table. presentations, see Appendix I.) In cities collectively, occurrences of larceny-theft in 2004 declined 1.9 percent compared with 2003 data. Among the city groups, cities with populations of 250,000 and over had the largest decrease (3.4 percent) in larceny-theft offenses compared with 2003 data; cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 had the smallest decrease (0.1 percent). In metropolitan counties, the decline was 0.7 percent, and in nonmetropolitan counties, 0.5 percent. Based on reports of larceny-theft offenses from U.S. law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). submitting 12 months of complete data for 2004, this offense occurred at a rate of 2,418.1 per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide. In cities collectively, the rate was 2,884.4 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. Among the city population groups, cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,999 experienced the highest rate of larceny-theft: 3,218.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. Cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 had the lowest rate: 2,519.3. In metropolitan counties, the estimated rate was 1,619.6; in nonmetropolitan counties, it was 1,030.6 offenses. (See Table 16.) Offense Analysis Distribution Thefts from motor vehicles accounted for the majority of offenses in the category of larceny-theft: 25.3 percent. Table 23 provides a further breakdown breakdown /break·down/ (brak´doun) 1. the act or process of ceasing to function. 2. an often sudden collapse in health. 3. loss of self-control. of larceny-theft offenses, including shoplifting, thefts from buildings, thefts of motor vehicle accessories, thefts of bicycles, thefts from coin-operated Adj. 1. coin-operated - of devices that do not operate without the prior insertion of one or more coins; "a coin-operated telephone" coin-operated adj [machine] → que funciona con monedas machines, purse-snatching, and pocket-picking. "All other," a category that includes the less-defined larceny-theft offenses, accounted for 31.6 percent of the total. Loss by Dollar Value Larceny-theft offenses cost victims an estimated $5.1 billion in lost property in 2004, up from $4.9 billion in 2003. (Based on Tables 1 and 23.) The average value of property stolen was estimated at $727 per offense, up 4.2 percent from the 2003 figure. The category with the highest average loss in dollar value was theft from buildings ($1,106 per offense). Thefts from motor vehicles were valued at $697 per offense; thefts of motor vehicle accessories, $428; purse-snatching, $416; pocket-picking, $360; thefts from coin-operated machines, $244; thefts of bicycles, $240; and shoplifting, $156. Offenses in which the stolen property was valued at more than $200 accounted for 39.1 percent of the crimes in the category of larceny-theft. Table 23 provides a further analysis, including the average dollar value per offense, of all offenses in the overall category of property crime. Clearances In the UCR Program, an offense can be cleared either by arrest or by exceptional means, i.e., when conditions beyond the control of law enforcement prevent placing formal charges against the offender offender n. an accused defendant in a criminal case or one convicted of a crime. (See: defendant, accused) . (For a further explanation of clearances, see Section III.) In 2004, law enforcement agencies across the Nation collectively cleared 18.3 percent of reported larceny-theft offenses. Among the population groups, law enforcement in cities collectively cleared 18.4 percent of reported larceny-theft offenses. The highest percentage of larceny-theft offenses cleared (22.5 percent) occurred in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999. The lowest percentage of larceny-theft offenses cleared (14.7 percent) took place in cities with populations of 250,000 and over. Law enforcement agencies in metropolitan counties cleared 18.0 percent of offenses in this category, and those in nonmetropolitan counties cleared 17.7 percent. (See Table 25.) An analysis of clearances by region shows that law enforcement agencies in the Northeast cleared the largest proportion of their larceny-theft offenses: 21.9 percent. Agencies in the South cleared 18.4 percent; in the Midwest, 17.9 percent; and in the West, 16.6 percent. (See Table 26.) Clearances and Juveniles In certain circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or involving juveniles, a law enforcement agency Noun 1. law enforcement agency - an agency responsible for insuring obedience to the laws FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation - a federal law enforcement agency that is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Justice may report that an offense is cleared by arrest even when no physical arrest is made. This type of clearance CLEARANCE, com. law. The name of a certificate given by the collector of a port, in which is stated the master or commander (naming him) of a ship or vessel named and described, bound for a port, named, and having on board goods described, has entered and cleared his ship or vessel must meet the following criteria criteria (krītēr´ē  ),n. : the offender is under the age of 18 and is cited to appear in juvenile court juvenile court Special court handling problems of delinquent, neglected, or abused children. Two types of cases are processed by a juvenile court: civil matters, often concerning care of an abandoned or impoverished child, and criminal matters, arising from antisocial or before other juvenile juvenile /ju·ve·nile/ (ju´vin-il) 1. pertaining to youth or childhood. 2. a youth or child; a young animal. 3. a cell or organism intermediate between immature and mature forms. authorities. When a clearance involves both adult and juvenile offenders, it is classified as an adult clearance. In 2004, of the total number of larceny-theft offenses cleared nationwide, 19.8 percent involved juveniles alone. In cities collectively, 20.6 percent of such clearances involved only juveniles. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 reported the highest percentage of clearances that involved solely juveniles, 23.0 percent. The lowest percentage of such clearances (17.0 percent) occurred in cities having a population of 250,000 and over. In metropolitan counties, agencies reported that 16.7 percent of clearances for larceny-theft offenses involved only juveniles; in nonmetropolitan counties, 14.2 percent involved only juveniles. (See Table 28.)
Table 2.26
Larceny-theft
Percent Distribution by Month, 2000-2004
Month 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
January 7.6 7.7 8.1 7.9 7.9
February 7.3 6.8 7.0 6.7 7.1
March 8.2 7.8 7.8 8.1 8.3
April 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.3 8.2
May 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.7 8.5
June 8.8 8.6 8.5 8.6 8.7
July 9.2 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.0
August 9.2 9.1 9.1 9.0 8.9
September 8.5 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.4
October 8.8 9.1 8.9 8.8 8.8
November 8.0 8.3 8.0 8.0 8.1
December 7.9 8.4 8.1 8.2 8.1
Table 2.27
Larceny-theft
Percent Distribution by Region, 2004
United
States
Type total Northeast Midwest South West
Total (1) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Pocket-picking 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.4
Purse-snatching 0.6 1.3 0.5 0.5 0.6
Shoplifting 14.5 15.9 13.8 14.0 15.1
From motor vehicles
(except accessories) 25.3 20.0 21.6 23.7 32.5
Motor vehicle
accessories 10.8 8.8 10.2 11.4 11.1
Bicycles 3.6 4.6 4.1 2.8 3.8
From buildings 12.4 15.5 14.0 10.3 12.7
From coin-operated
machines 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.6
All others 31.6 32.6 34.8 36.3 23.2
(1) Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
Figure 2.12
Larceny-theft
Percent Change from 2000
Volume Rate per 100,000
inhabitants
2000 0 0
2001 1.7 0.3
2002 1.2 -1.1
2003 0.8 -2.5
2004 -0.3 -4.5
Note: Table made from line graph.
Figure 2.13
Larceny-theft Categories
Percent Change from 2000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Pocket-picking 0 -6.4 -11.1 -12.8 -27.4
Purse-snatching 0 3.4 6.5 11.9 26.4
Shoplifting 0 2.7 5.0 6.3 11.7
From motor vehicles
(except accessories) 0 5.2 8.3 7.7 10.3
Motor vehicle accessories 0 8.0 13.1 16.2 29.7
Bicycles 0 -5.4 -8.7 -12.3 -28.9
From buildings 0 1.2 -4.3 -7.6 -14.0
From coin-operated machines 0 12.6 14.6 17.1 20.8
Note: Table made from line graph.
Figure 2.14
Larceny-theft
Percent Distribution, (1) 2004
Pocket-picking 0.4%
Purse-snatching 0.6%
From coin-operated machines 0.7%
Bicycles 3.6%
Motor vehicle accessories 10.8%
From buildings 12.4%
Shoplifting 14.5%
From motor vehicles (except accessories) 25.3%
All others 31.6%
(1) Due to rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0
Note: Table made from pie chart.
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