NCJ Number
78149
Date Published
1981
Length
186 pages
Annotation
Following a general description of the LEAA Property Crime Program, through which undercover antifencing operations were established by 42 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, this report presents summaries of the projects initiated during each of the program's three phases.
Abstract
The program was initiated in late 1974 to deal with the problem of escalating property crime. Program goals included the apprehension of thieves and fences, the recovery of stolen property, and the ultimate disruption of stolen property markets. Over the past 6 years, Congress has provided $30 million for the program. The projects have resulted in the arrest of 9,970 property criminals and the conviction of more than 90 percent of them. About $109 million in court costs have been saved because most convictions have been obtained through guilty pleas resulting from the weight of the evidence presented. A total of $300 million in stolen property has been recovered and, in most cases, returned to the victims or rightful owners. The program's intangible benefits have included improved law enforcement morale, renewed confidence in the criminal justice system, and increased interagency cooperation. Other benefits have included deterrence; improved relations between police and prosecutors; and the ability to enable judges, prosecutors, probation officers, and parole officers to view actual criminal behavior for the first time. In addition, the use of audiovisual technology in the program has been said to have accelerated the acceptance of this technology in law enforcement by 10 years. The program has been favorably received by the press and the public. The program's results have also revealed that property is increasingly moving across jurisdictional lines with alarming ease and efficiency. Photographs, a map, and descriptions of the nature and results of each project are provided. (Author abstract modified)