Burglary Theories Essay - 5164 Words

Theories Explaining Burglary Rational Choice Theory and Routine Activity Theory By: Tracy Eberts, November 11, 2010 Abstract Any family can fall victim to home invasion or burglary-not by criminals who rob us of our possessions, but by our routines that allow them into our lives in order to rob us of our souls. Rational choice theory focuses on how to deter burglary. By examining the Rational Choice theory and Routine Activity theory we can see why criminals offend after weighing the rewards against the punishments. The Petit family found this out the hard way when two burglars invaded their home because they were not happy with the bounty that they received from the last two homes they invaded. Unfortunately for them this invasion†¦show more content†¦Most burglars weigh the positives with the negatives when making a choice to commit their crime. Many of them choose to commit their burglary (or home invasion) during the day because it is safer and there are less chances of being caught. About 57% of these crimes are committed between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. while about 42% are committed at night (ho me). Many burglaries are committed by repeat offenders. In the Connecticut Nightmare, a string of burglaries led to the final home invasion and the death of a mother and her two daughters. Many people believe that they are safe where they live; in fact this home invasion occurred in a town that was listed as one of the â€Å"100 Best Places to Live.† The Petit’s, whom were the victims, lived in a â€Å"family-oriented community† with an â€Å"excellent academic reputation† (Swartz-Turfle). The day before Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes invaded the home of the Petit’s they committed a string of burglaries in the same neighborhood. These two were known criminals who had been in and out of prison for the past several years. â€Å"Komisarjevsky was 22 years old in 2002 when he was sentenced to nine years in prison, with six years special parole for several counts of burglary and larceny for a string of house break-ins. He was granted parole in April 2 007† (Sullo). It was shortly after Komisarjevsky’s tether came off that he began to burglarize again. His partner in crime, Hayes, had aShow MoreRelatedThe Association Between Differential Association Theory and Burglary1358 Words   |  6 Pagesassociation theory explains burglary. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) considers burglary a Type 1 Index Crime because of its potentially violent nature. The FBI breaks burglary down into three sub-classifications. This paper discusses the elements of the crime of burglary and what constitutes a structure or dwelling. 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