Home General Criminal Law Major Aspects of Property Offenses You Should Know

Major Aspects of Property Offenses You Should Know

Major Aspects of Property Offenses You Should Know

Every year, millions of criminal cases involve individuals who have committed property offenses. Unlike personal offenses, property offenses occur when an individual commits an offense against another person’s property. Property offenses may include damage to another individual’s property or belongings. Such offenses may also involve taking objects or items that belong to another individual without obtaining that person’s permission. 
Many people believe that this type of criminal behavior is not as harmful and detrimental as physical offenses. However, property offenses cause a great deal of damage. Often, crimes that begin as property offense escalate and turn into physical offenses. If innocent individuals are present while these crimes are taking place they may sustain extensive physical injury and they may even be killed. Therefore, offenses against property are considered to be extremely serious crimes and they are punished accordingly.
Many criminal cases involve an offender who has taken objects or property that does not belong to him or her. When an individual shoplifts from a store, he or she is taking part in theft. An individual who steals money or objects from a family member or a friend is also taking part in this criminal activity. 
An offender may attempt to take money or personal property by employing the use of violence or force. In cases of these types of property offenses, the perpetrator may not actually use violence, but may threaten force in order to scare the victim into surrendering money or objects. 
In many instances, deadly weapons are utilized during robbery in order to cause fear and submission. Because of the threat that is posed by these dangerous weapons, these property offenses are usually punished more severely then shoplifting, petty theft or burglary. In criminal cases, burglary is one of the common types of property offenses. An individual is responsible for burglary when he or she breaks into a building that is not his or her own. 
The punishment for burglary will vary depending on the building that the offender broke into, as well as the intentions that he or she had for entering the building. In most criminal cases, a perpetrator who breaks into another individual’s home will experience greater penalties then an offender who breaks into an office building. This is especially true if individuals are in the house at the time that the offender broke into their home. 
There are various different property offenses that result in the damage of another individual’s property. In criminal cases, arson is a property crime that generally results in some of the most extensive consequences and punishments. Arson occurs when an offender knowingly sets fire to a building. In many criminal cases, arson accompanies other serious criminal activities. It is often used as a threat or a way to intimidate an enemy. 
In some instances, a perpetrator will use arson as a way to murder an individual and attempt to eliminate him or herself as a suspect. in situations such as this, the perpetrator will often hope that the fire will be deemed electrical so that his or her criminal activities are not discovered. Arson is also often used as a means of committing insurance fraud, and is responsible for billions of dollars worth of damage every year. Individuals who are responsible for arson may face many years in prison as a result of their actions.