Who Buys Stolen Property? A New Look at Criminal Receiving (From In Their Own Words: Criminals on Crime: An Anthology, P 47-56, 1996, Paul Cromwell, ed. - See NCJ-171367)

• NCJ Number: 171369
• Author(s): P F Cromwell; J N Olson; D'A W Avary
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: Roxbury Publishing Co.
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Excerpted from the Journal of Crime and Justice, V 56, N 1 (1993), P 75-95

Annotation

Information from burglars and fences in a metropolitan area of western Texas was used to determine the role of the nonprofessional fence in initiating and sustaining property crime.

Abstract

Data were collected from interviews with 30 active burglars and shoplifters, a review of statements given to police by 190 arrested burglars and shoplifters, and 310 hours of interviews with professional and nonprofessional fences and with amateur receivers who purchase stolen property for personal use. Results revealed that only 27 percent of the stolen property from the 190 arrest reports was sold to professional fences. Fences were a diverse group that ranged from professional criminals with ties to organized crime to respected citizens such as businesspeople and office workers who buy stolen goods for personal consumption. Fences include professional fences, part-time fences, associational fences, neighborhood hustlers, drug-dealer fences, and amateur receivers. The nonprofessional receivers do not purchase with the frequency, volume, or commitment of the professional fence, but findings suggest that they represent a large market for stolen goods and compensate with their sheer numbers for their lack of volume. 20 references