ABSTRACT
Property offences are deemed in law as notifiable offences and, if crime statistics are to be considered reliable, such offences account for the bulk of recorded crime figures. The definition of what constitutes a property offence is not homogeneous when we consider that theft, for example, may incorporate a host of offences ranging from theft of a motor vehicle to theft from a home/shop/ business. Some offences may incorporate violence against the person as well as a property offence – for example aggravated burglary or robbery. Property offences may be expressive – for example criminal damage and arson.
