, CRIME TAXONOMY
CONTEMPORARY CRIME CATEGORIES:
● Herbig - assessment of criminological literature reveals plethora of different
viewpoints + approaches to crime classification
Legal classifications of crime & criminal codes established by
society, depending on what it perceives as socially damaging + to serve as stern threat to
members of that society. (Bartol & Bartol 2008:33).
Most South African offenders
are violent + aggressive, vs. America where majority of offences neither serious / violent
CRIME - Stevens and Snyman
juridical approach- is transgression of law + if transgressor found guilty by court, state may
impose punishment.
CRIME PATTERNS
describe incidence of different types of crime in specific year.
CRIME TRENDS
increases + decreases in different types of crime in specific year.
CRIME STATISTICS
numbers that comprise all info regarding crime, scientifically arranged + tabulated in order
to give total picture of crime problem.
CRIME CLASSIFICATION
division / arrangement of crime data into specific classes.
Classification based on fact that data on certain crimes show definite underlying similarities
Crime classification is necessary to determine
a) common factors shared by certain crimes
b) data record of types of crimes
c) activities that constitute crimes
d) answers as to why people commit particular crimes
e) crime prediction
Purpose + function of crime classification
● to gain impression of various types of crime
, ● permitting crime to be broken down into particular groups to reveal primary
commonalities + ensure richer understanding of crime typologies.
● Familiarity with particular crimes vital for detecting, combating + preventing them.
Failure to classify and/or recognise conservation crime as a unique crime category
- Herbig
● could promote rigid +ignorant perceptions of this type of crime among criminological
scholars + conservation officials.
● Insight into conservation + conservation crime issues will be impaired +
underdeveloped.
Efficient crime classification should encompass:
(+) uniform criteria
(+) comprehensiveness
(+) simplicity, no ambiguity
(+) durability
(+) feasibility
(+) applicability
● Prospective crime classifiers should remain aware of fact that parameters of certain
forms of crime are still changing + that crime classification in such instances should
proceed with caution
Different methods for + approaches to crime classification (CONTEMPORARY CRIME
CATEGORIES)
(+) Bonger's classification:
● Economic crimes
● Violent crimes
● Sexual crimes
● Political crimes
(+) Stumpfl 's classification:
● heavy + light criminality
● crimes committed at early + late age
● conflict + habitual crimes
(+) Carey's classification:
● violent crimes
● conventional and professional crimes
● political crimes
, ● crimes against the social order
● white-collar crime
(+) Schafer's life trend typology:
● occasional criminals
● habitual criminals
● abnormal criminals
● conventional criminals
(+) Reid's typology:
● violent crimes
● property crimes
● business crimes
● organised crime
● terrorism
SAPS:
Govender (2012)
● SAPS managed by various National commissioners with different strategic
leadership style
● Emphasises that leadership is mutual process involving workers + leaders
● Major-General George Fivaz first national commissioner appointed by Nelson
Mandela in 1994
● His mandate was to transform police from highly militarised, undemocratic structure
+ to introduce leadership with clear policies.
● Actively involved subordinates in decision-making process, sharing problems +
soliciting inputs from community + their superiors.
George Fivaz followed by?
● Jackie Selebi on 1 January 2002
Jackie Selebi mandate:
● Provided strategic leadership to SAPS
Jackie Selebi texture highlights:
● Provided strict leadership + demanded certain things
● management team felt intimidated by his threats of being fired
● Provincial management used him as role model to intimidate their subordinates to
achieve their targets / face dismissal
CONTEMPORARY CRIME CATEGORIES:
● Herbig - assessment of criminological literature reveals plethora of different
viewpoints + approaches to crime classification
Legal classifications of crime & criminal codes established by
society, depending on what it perceives as socially damaging + to serve as stern threat to
members of that society. (Bartol & Bartol 2008:33).
Most South African offenders
are violent + aggressive, vs. America where majority of offences neither serious / violent
CRIME - Stevens and Snyman
juridical approach- is transgression of law + if transgressor found guilty by court, state may
impose punishment.
CRIME PATTERNS
describe incidence of different types of crime in specific year.
CRIME TRENDS
increases + decreases in different types of crime in specific year.
CRIME STATISTICS
numbers that comprise all info regarding crime, scientifically arranged + tabulated in order
to give total picture of crime problem.
CRIME CLASSIFICATION
division / arrangement of crime data into specific classes.
Classification based on fact that data on certain crimes show definite underlying similarities
Crime classification is necessary to determine
a) common factors shared by certain crimes
b) data record of types of crimes
c) activities that constitute crimes
d) answers as to why people commit particular crimes
e) crime prediction
Purpose + function of crime classification
● to gain impression of various types of crime
, ● permitting crime to be broken down into particular groups to reveal primary
commonalities + ensure richer understanding of crime typologies.
● Familiarity with particular crimes vital for detecting, combating + preventing them.
Failure to classify and/or recognise conservation crime as a unique crime category
- Herbig
● could promote rigid +ignorant perceptions of this type of crime among criminological
scholars + conservation officials.
● Insight into conservation + conservation crime issues will be impaired +
underdeveloped.
Efficient crime classification should encompass:
(+) uniform criteria
(+) comprehensiveness
(+) simplicity, no ambiguity
(+) durability
(+) feasibility
(+) applicability
● Prospective crime classifiers should remain aware of fact that parameters of certain
forms of crime are still changing + that crime classification in such instances should
proceed with caution
Different methods for + approaches to crime classification (CONTEMPORARY CRIME
CATEGORIES)
(+) Bonger's classification:
● Economic crimes
● Violent crimes
● Sexual crimes
● Political crimes
(+) Stumpfl 's classification:
● heavy + light criminality
● crimes committed at early + late age
● conflict + habitual crimes
(+) Carey's classification:
● violent crimes
● conventional and professional crimes
● political crimes
, ● crimes against the social order
● white-collar crime
(+) Schafer's life trend typology:
● occasional criminals
● habitual criminals
● abnormal criminals
● conventional criminals
(+) Reid's typology:
● violent crimes
● property crimes
● business crimes
● organised crime
● terrorism
SAPS:
Govender (2012)
● SAPS managed by various National commissioners with different strategic
leadership style
● Emphasises that leadership is mutual process involving workers + leaders
● Major-General George Fivaz first national commissioner appointed by Nelson
Mandela in 1994
● His mandate was to transform police from highly militarised, undemocratic structure
+ to introduce leadership with clear policies.
● Actively involved subordinates in decision-making process, sharing problems +
soliciting inputs from community + their superiors.
George Fivaz followed by?
● Jackie Selebi on 1 January 2002
Jackie Selebi mandate:
● Provided strategic leadership to SAPS
Jackie Selebi texture highlights:
● Provided strict leadership + demanded certain things
● management team felt intimidated by his threats of being fired
● Provincial management used him as role model to intimidate their subordinates to
achieve their targets / face dismissal
