THEFT FROM SELECTED INDIANA BUSINESSES IN 1971 ORGANIZED CRIME IMPLICATIONS

• NCJ Number: 18794
• Author(s): R J RIPBERGER
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 139 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Annotation

PAPER WHICH EXAMINES THE DIRECT LOSSES DUE TO ALL THEFT REPORTED BY SELECTED TYPES OF BUSINESS FIRMS, THE NATURE OF THEIR THEFT PROBLEM, AND ESTIMATES THE PROPORTION OF TOTAL THEFTS ASCRIBABLE TO ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

Abstract

THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON ORGANIZED THEFT, THE ROLE OF THE EMPLOYEE IN SUCH THEFT, AND HIS CONNECTION TO THE PROFESSIONAL RECEIVER OF STOLEN GOODS - THE FENCE. THEFT LOSSES INCURRED BY FIVE CATEGORIES OF FIRMS CONSTRUCTION, MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION, RETAILING, AND WHOLESALING - ARE EXAMINED. A SERIES OF QUESTIONNAIRES, EACH TAILORED TO THE TYPE OF BUSINESS BEING SURVEYED, WERE DESIGNED TO COLLECT DATA IN THE FOLLOWING FOUR AREAS: THE RECIPIENT'S PERCEPTION OF THEIR THEFT PROBLEM, ACTUAL AMOUNT OF THEFT LOSS, NATURE OF LOSS, AND LINKAGES BETWEEN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND THE OVERALL THEFT PROBLEM. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY A MAIL SURVEY OF OVER 1700 FIRMS, EACH WITH A NET WORTH EXCEEDING $500,000. OVER 400 FIRMS RESPONDED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THE RETAILING INDUSTRY WAS SHOWN TO BE THE MOST CONSISTENT IN RELATION TO INTEREST, PERCEPTION, AND LOSS DUE TO THEFT, BUT NOT IN RELATION TO THEIR PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE PROBLEM. ONLY 22.7 PERCENT OF THE RETAIL FIRMS RESPONDING ENGAGED ANY TYPE OF SECURITY FORCES AS COMPARED TO 48.9 PERCENT OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND 33.9 PERCENT OF THE MANUFACTURING FIRMS. ONLY 28 PERCENT OF RETAILING THEFTS WERE COVERED BY INSURANCE, COMPARED TO 91 PERCENT IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AND 81 PERCENT IN THE WHOLESALING INDUSTRY. BOTH THE TRANSPORTATION AND MANUFACTURING FIRMS HAD LESS THAN HALF THE LOSSES INCURRED BY RETAIL FIRMS. RESPONDENTS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED SUSPECTED ORGANIZED CRIME ACTIVITY ON OR NEAR BUSINESS PREMISES, WHILE THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY RANKED HIGHEST IN SUSPECTING EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT IN SUCH ACTIVITIES. COPIES OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES APPEAR IN THE APPENDIX. A NINE-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS, GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, AND PERIODICAL AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES IS ALSO INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)