NCJ Number
211584
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 45 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 741-764
Date Published
September 2005
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study used police crime data and purchase price to examine patterns in the type of property stolen in domestic burglaries in the Sandwell Metropolitan Borough in West Midlands, England.
Abstract
The dataset contained all recorded domestic burglaries in this borough between June 1, 1997, and September 30, 2003. A set of 31 standard categories of property stolen was determined. In order to examine the effects of market saturation, data were obtained on ownership levels and price for the items. In addition to examining trends in the prevalence with which various products were stolen, the study also determined the frequency with which cash was taken. This study tested the validity of Clarke's (1999) CRAVED model of "hot" products, which indicates that the items most likely to be taken in a burglary are concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable to own or consume, and disposable, i.e., can be readily converted into cash or exchanged for other desired items (most notably drugs). The study findings confirmed this model by documenting that the items most frequently stolen met the criteria of the CRAVED model. The study also shows that price change data, ownership levels, and burglary data for the jurisdiction studied generally support the notion of a life cycle of innovation, growth, mass market, and saturation, which is related to the price and ownership levels of an item and the prevalence of its theft through burglary. Exceptions are explained. 2 tables, 4 figures, 39 references, and appended study code descriptions