CMY3702 CRIME TYPLOGIES SUMMARY FOR EXAM

CMY3702
CRIME TYPOLOGIES SUMMARY


THEME 1
UNIT 1: CRIME TYPOLOGIES
Introduction
 legal classification of crime established by society.
 SA legislation determines a criminal act.
 SAPS determines specific crime categories.


Definition of concepts
 Crime: transgression of the law and if transgressor is found guilty by court,
state may impose punishment.
 Crime patterns: describe the incidence of different types of crime in a specific
year.
 Crime trends: increases and decreases in different types of crime in a specific
year.
 Crime statistics: numbers that comprise all info regarding crime, scientifically
arranged and tabulated to give total picture of crime problem.
 Crime classification: refers to division/arrangement of crime data into specific
classes- based on fact that certain crimes show underlying similarities.


Crime classification
 Crime classification necessary to determine:
 common factors shared by certain crimes
 data record of types of crimes
 activities that constitute as crimes
 answers to why people commit crime
 crime prediction


 purpose and function:
 gain impression of various types of crime
 breaking crime down into groups
 ensure better understanding of crime


 classification can help with:
 identification
 clarification

,  prediction
 treatment
 prevention


 crimes = vaguely classified = insufficiently addressed.
 Failure to classify/ recognise crime promote rigorous and ignorant perceptions
of type of crime. (insignificant = impaired/ underdeveloped)

 Efficient classification should include:
 Uniform criteria
 Comprehensiveness
 Simplicity
 No ambiguity
 Durability
 Feasibility
 Applicability
 Parameters of certain crimes still changing.


Contemporary crime categories
Methods and approaches to crime classification:
1. Bonger’s classification
 Economic, violent, sexual and political crimes

2. Stumpfl’s classification
 Heavy and light criminality, crimes committed at early or late age,
conflict and habitual crimes

3. Carey’s classification
 Violent crimes, conventional and professional crimes, political crimes,
crimes against social order and white collar crime.

4. Schafer’s life trend typology
 Occasional criminals, habitual criminals, abnormal criminals and
conventional criminals.

5. Reid’s typology
 Violent crimes, property crimes, business crimes, organised crime and
terrorism.




S.A. crime categories

,  SAPS classifies crime:
- Contact crime
- Contact-related crime
- Property-related crime
- Crimes heavily dependent on police action for detection
- Other serious crimes


 Department Correctional Services (DCS):
- Economic (fraud, house breaking, theft)
- Aggressive ( murder, armed robbery)
- Sexual (rape, indecent assault)
- Narcotics ( drug-related crimes)
- Other (public disorder, traffic crimes)


S.A. serious crime categories
1. Contact crimes
 Robbery, rape, attempted murder, assault, murder, indecent assault

2. Contact-related crimes
 Arson, malicious damage to property

3. Property-related crimes
 Burglary, motor vehicle theft

4. Crimes heavily dependent on police action for detection
 Illegal possession firearms and ammunition, drug related crimes, DUI

5. Other serious crimes
 All theft not mentioned elsewhere (cell phones/garden tools),
commercial crimes and shoplifting


 Subcategories of aggravated robbery:
- Car jacking
- Bank robbery
- Cash-in-transit robbery
- Business and residential robbery

 Contact crimes affect victims:
- Death (immediate/delayed) as result of violence
- Injuries of various degrees
- Psychological trauma
- Loss/damage to property

,  Social contact crimes: (usually between people know each other)
- Sexual offences
- (attempted) murder


S.A. priority crimes
 Prioritisation of crimes differ between cities and countries.
 Priority crimes determined by various sources:
- Crime data police
- Judicial and prison statistics
- Crime surveys
- Self-reporting studies/ media reports

 S.A. national priority crimes:
- Crimes involving firearms
- White collar crimes
- Crimes against women and children
- Violence related to intergroup and political differences
- Vehicle theft and hijackings
- Paramilitary activities.

 Priority Crimes Litigation Unit (PCLU):
- Specialist prosecution unit of national prosecuting services


 PCLU manages and directs:
- Proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction
- Proliferation of conventional (military) weapons
- All forms of terrorism
- Mercenary and foreign military assistance and activities
- Statute of Rome
- Intelligence related activities
- Prosecutions arising from TRC
- Missing Persons’ project
- Selected civil claims
- NPS, mutual legal assistance and extradition
- Legal research and furnish legal opinions.


Priority crimes in various countries
 Differs from country to country
 Low crime rates bc of homogenous groups(Japan) / inhumanely severe
penalties for offences (middle east)
THEME 2