AUTO THEFT Offender and Offense Characteristics

Abstract

Few empirical studies describe auto thieves. The most influential and frequently cited research is that by Wattenberg and Balistrieri who charocterize auto theft 0s a "fovored-group" delinquency. The findings of the present study challenge this conclusion. Although the majority of those arrested for auto theft are white. blacks are disproportionately represented; most thieves come from lower-class neighborhoods: and the distribution of juvenile thieves by fothers'occupational status does not oppear to difJer jiom that of other delinquents. Five types of out0 theft are suggested; the offender and oflense characteristics are empirically examined.

Predicting Decade-Long Changes in Community Motor Vehicle Theft Rates

“…Young males are involved and arrested in disproportionate numbers to their representation in the population. This appears to hold true for the crime of MVT as well (McCaghy et al 1977;Saville and Murdie 1988). One study, however, found no link between MVT rates and young males (Walsh and Taylor, in press).…”

To link or not to link: a test of the case linkage principles using serial car theft data

“…However, in the absence of any model within the published literature that describes the components of car thieves' modus operandi (MO), the three domains (target selection, target acquisition, and disposal behaviour) were developed, following a review of the car theft and case linkage literatures (e.g. Bennell & Canter, 2002;Bennell & Jones, 2005;Light, Nee, & Ingham, 1993;McCaghy, Giordano, & Henson, 1977;Nee, 1993;Spencer, 1992;Woodhams & Toye, 2007). A full listing of the behaviours that comprise each domain can be seen in Table 1.…”

Socioecological Models of Automotive Theft: Integrating Routine Activity and Social Disorganization Approaches

“…Some researchers suggest that although favored groups may make up a large percentage of auto theft offenders, African Americans disproportionately commit the offense, and the majority of auto thefts are committed by individuals with incomes below the median (McCaghy et al 1977). Messner and Blau (1987) found evidence that the level of poverty in an area is positively related to the area's motor vehicle theft rate, and several other authors have claimed that auto theft increases as the legitimate availability of cars decreases (Biles 1977;Gould 1969;Mansfield, Gould, and Namenworth 1974;Mayhew 1990;Tremblay, Clermont, and Cusson 1994).…”

“…For this reason, potential victims are particularly responsible for their vehicles' theft risk because they choose where to park their cars. Auto theft is especially victim facilitated in that some estimates place the number of vehicles stolen by the use of keys to be even higher 306 JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN CRIME AND DELINQUENCY than 70 percent (McCaghy et al 1977), and repeat victimization is not uncommon (nearly 25 percent; Fleming et al 1994).…”