Property Crimes are those crimes that normally do not involve direct face-to-face contact
between the victim and the perpetrator. More often, the crime is committed
when the victim is distracted, unaware, or not present to witness the criminal
activity. The crime is usually discovered after the perpetrator
has departed the scene. Theft, in its many varied forms, is the
primary crime investigated by a Property Crime detective.
THEFT
As previously mentioned, Theft can take many forms. In
Indiana, a normally low-dollar loss, such as shoplifting, is referred to
as Criminal Conversion. Criminal Conversion is considered a
misdemeanor-level theft; however, if the reported loss is of a
high-dollar value, or the perpetrator has a documented history of
previous convictions, it is possible that the thief could be charged
with felony theft. Detectives don't usually investigate
misdemeanor theft reports, but they will look into any incident, at the
Prosecutor's request. There are occasions when a person may be
initially arrested on a misdemeanor charge, but after further investigation, the Prosecutor decides that their criminal behavior warrants a felony charge.
BURGLARY
The crime of Burglary involves the breaking
into and entering of a
building or structure of another person with the intent to commit a
felony in it. Burglaries are perpetrated against residential
dwellings and businesses, but the law is designed to provide a harsher penalty to
those who burglarize homes. Since there are many more homes than
businesses in the city, there are many more residential break-ins than business
burglaries.
There are several key words in the Burglary statute. They are,
"breaking and entering," and "with intent to
commit a felony." A person who walks into an open
garage door and takes a lawnmower is not considered a burglar. This does not mean that the
perpetrator escapes penalties, the activity just does not qualify as a
"burglary."
Burglaries occur in every
neighborhood and business district. No area of our city is immune
from crime. As a home or business owner, we encourage you to adopt
a multi-level security plan.
Your first goal is to
discourage an attempt against your property.
Your second goal is to limit the amount of time the thief spends in your
property.
A loud audible alarm that draws
attention to your property will discourage a prolonged visit. The
longer a thief stays on your property, the more damage he will cause.
Your third goal is to take measures to help the police and court convict
the perpetrator. You do this by maintaining an accurate list of
your property; including brand names, model numbers, serial numbers,
etc. Police may later locate a suspect, but if you
can't adequately link him to your stolen property, he may escape any
penalties. Thieves count on this. They know that most people
will not take the time to record and maintain this information.
They play the odds, and unfortunately, they usually win.
A determined thief can bypass security devices and
penetrate structures that subscribe to expensive monitoring/alarm
systems. Some thieves consider an alarm system to be nothing
more than a nuisance
that requires them to complete their business a little quicker. The Fort Wayne Police Department offers crime prevention information and
CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design) analysis to interested citizens and businesses. For
further information you can call the Police Crime Prevention office at
260-427-1207.
VEHICLE THEFT
Each month, an average of 60-70 vehicles are reported stolen
in Fort Wayne. While most are recovered, the number is still alarming
high.
Follow-up investigations reveal that some of the stolen
vehicles are actually related to domestic property disputes, repossessions,
or traded for illegal drugs. Some are determined to have been involved in
previous Hit & Run accidents, then reported stolen by the owner, in an
attempt to escape charges related to the accident.
While all types of vehicles are subject to theft, statistics indicate
that
pre-1995 General Motors vehicles are currently the preferred vehicle of Fort Wayne's thieves.
We've been told that these vehicles were
manufactured with ignition components that are easier to
defeat.
Our vehicle theft detectives are also responsible for
investigating the theft of trucks, trailers, boats, snowmobiles,
motorcycles and even farm tractors.
Vehicle theft prevention starts with the owner.
Although a determined thief will probably be successful regardless of
your efforts, most thieves are opportunist, and will bypass your
property if it appears to be too difficult to steal.
Your goal is to discourage the thief and cause him to seek a different
target.
Lock your vehicle. Never leave the keys in the ignition of an unattended
vehicle. Never leave your unattended vehicle running with your children in the car.
Some thieves will take your car and your children. The consequences
could be disastrous.
PAWN
DETAIL
The Fort Wayne Police
Department actively monitors all of the recorded pawn-transactions at
the city's eight different pawn shops. These shops collectively average
approximately 350 pawn-transactions per day. If a pawned item can be
convincingly linked to a documented theft, the department will
confiscate the item and hold it until the investigation is
concluded. The key to any successful recovery is proper
documentation of the original theft, adequate documentation of the stolen
item, and a commitment to prosecution. Victims run into problems when
they try to recover their item(s) without satisfying these key recovery
elements.
One problem that frequently occurs is when a suspect steals from a
friend or relative and then pawns the "stolen" item.
Often, the original theft is not reported, but the victim discovers that
the item has been pawned. The victim then calls the police
demanding the return of their "stolen" article, but declines
to press charges against their friend or relative.
In these situations, we may be able to assist the victim in securing the
pawned item, but we will ask that the victim re-pay the pawn shop for
the amount of money the shop has invested in the item. Since the
"stolen" item was never properly reported and the victim
refuses to press charges against the friend/relative, it is not fair
that the pawn merchant be required to absorb this loss.
Another variable that complicates a recovery is when the complaint
involves a breach-of-contract or other
civil problem. Each complaint must be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis.
COMPUTER CRIME
When we say "computer crime," we're not talking about the
theft of a computer or computer parts, rather the use of a computer to
commit a crime. This can involve situations where an employee steals or sabotages his employer's
computerized files, or
someone uses a computer to communicate child-pornography
material. Some criminals use computers to produce counterfeit
currency or payroll checks. Others use the internet to perpetrate fraud
on unsuspecting customers. Detectives have witnessed a steady increase in
these types of complaints.
The Investigative Support Division has a forensic
computer lab to aid in the investigation of these complaints; however, due to the fast pace at which computer technology changes, the
maintenance of a such a facility is very expensive. We are constantly purchasing new hardware/software to
stay current with the new products, applications, and training. With each new hardware/software advancement come those individuals
ready to exploit the technology for criminal purposes. Several Fort Wayne-area businesses
have graciously donated money to
help equip our forensic-computer lab. If you or your business would like to underwrite a piece of equipment
please contact our Deputy Chief at 260-427-1201.
If you have a question about computer-related crimes, you can talk to
the Computer and Financial Crimes Sergeant at 260-427-1201. You can
also seek help from the national
Internet
Crime Complaint Center.
FINANCIAL CRIMES
The world of financial crimes is
gaining momentum, fueled in part by
the availability of low-cost sophisticated computer hardware and
software. Children are using scanners to copy and download
currency images, then printing counterfeit-currency which they attempt
to pass
at their school lunch lines. Adults are creating bogus payroll
checks and successfully cashing them at local banks and
supermarkets. Credit card fraud is another area of increasing abuse.
Any time a business accepts any form of payment, in lieu of cash,
they're increasing their chance of being victimized. Of
course, in order to remain competitive in the business-world, companies
must consider customer-convenience. By accepting checks and/or credit
cards, a business makes it easier for people to shop at their store.
Unfortunately, the criminal element is always lying in wait, ready to
exploit the weaknesses created by some customer-convenience policies.
When businesses are victimized, they pass their losses on to their
customers, in the form of higher prices. Some businesses
consider these varied forms of theft as a "cost of doing
business" and make little or no effort to combat the problem. The concern with this type of
cavalier attitude is that the thieves go unchecked and are allowed to continue victimizing other citizens.
Losses escalate, prices increase, insurance premiums rise, and
occasionally people are injured. Additionally, these same businesses
continue to pick the pockets of taxpayers through increased calls for
service (time =
money) from the taxpayer's police department. They summon the
police to their stores only to report the loss for insurance or tax
purposes,
but have no intention of assisting the police in apprehending the
culprit.
It is important that we protect our community from
the criminal element, and from businesses who don't respect our hard-earned money
and tax dollars. Businesses and financial institutions who knowingly
ignore customer safety and intentionally fail to initiate
adequate security measures should be avoided for more community-friendly
merchants.
Be patient when retailers
ask for your identification, a fingerprint, or your photo. Quickly
comply when you are asked to remove your hat or sunglasses for the
camera. Not only are they trying to protect themselves,
but they're also watching over your money. Thank them for taking the
initiative to combat the criminals within our community.
The Allen County Prosecutor's Office has initiated a Bad Check
Restitution Program designed specifically for victims who have suffered
a loss because a check was returned due to "Non-Sufficient
Funds." You can learn more about this program at www.checkprogram.com/allencountyin
To obtain information about counterfeit currency detection, please click
on the following link.
United States Secret Service
