1. Any act that is labeled such by those in authority, prohibited by law. And punishable by the government

2. Crime statistics FBI uses data from all local police departments in the U.S. Not all complaints make into official statistics If family or friend is involved its less likely to be reported More likely to file formal reports on serious crimes when the injured parties are members of the higher social class. Attitude plays a role in filing a report

3. Types of crime Serious crimes: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, Auto theft, arson Less serious: forgery and counterfeiting, fraud, stolen property, vandalism, weapons, prostitution, sex offenses, drug abuse, gambling, DUI, liquor laws, disorderly conduct,

4. Violent Crimes Murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault make up a very small percentage of all crimes committed Most victims of violence are African Americans ( young men 18-24 ) Most murders committed by guns and other weapons 22 violent, 8 rape, murder 40, seconds,

5. Crimes against property Burglary, larceny, motor theft and arson are much more common forms of theft. All property crimes involve either stealing someone’s property or intentionally damaging it ( 3 seconds ) Population and location Drug use

6. Victimless crimes Prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal drug use, supposedly harm no one but the person committing the act. This may be misleading as the consequences for society can be significant

7. White collar crime Offenses committed by individuals of high social status in the course of their professional lives. Politicians, corporations, ( fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, price fixing, toxic pollution, insider trading, political corruption

8. Organized Crime People who are part of a large scale organization of professional criminals that control some sort of vice or business through violence or the threat of violence. (Crime Syndicate ) Drug trafficking, illegal gambling, unfair labor practices, loan sharking, hijacking of merchandise