The Most Common Household Crimes

In Australia, there is a distinction between personal and household crimes. Australian law defines a household as a group of people living in private homes, sharing common areas, and facilities. Household crimes encompass criminal offences, in which any household is a victim of a crime.

The Australian Government has enacted laws that specify what acceptable behaviour is, and what crimes are within a community. Some common household crimes, both misdemeanours and felonies, are -

Burglary

Burglary involves unlawfully entering a closed structure, for instance, a house, often by coercion or force, to steal the belongings of other people or to commit any other crime. A textbook case of burglary is housebreaking.

Robbery

Robbery is a crime, involving the theft of property with the intention of permanently depriving a person or an institution of that property, by using threats, fear, or force. A classic example of robbery is demanding cash from the cashier of a shop or a bank at gunpoint.

Difference Between Burglary and Robbery

Burglary is when a person, or a group of people, illegally enters a closed structure to carry out a crime inside the structure. Robbery, on the contrary, is taking something from someone directly, using fear, force, or threats.

Larceny

Larceny is a criminal offence associated with the wrongful taking of another person's property without consent, with an intention of permanently depriving the owner of their property. Larceny, or theft, covers a range of unlawful activities, including shoplifts, orchestrated thefts, stealing of artwork, theft of a vehicle, or pick-pocketing a wallet.

Arson

The word arson originates from a Latin term which means - "to burn." In this day and age, it refers to the criminal act of maliciously and intentionally charring personal or public property. Besides people burning down other person’s places or properties, if someone deliberately sets fire to their own house or business to claim insurance money, then also, the law will treat it as arson.

Vandalism

Vandalism is an act that involves the intentional damage or destruction of private or public property. Acts of vandalism, include defacing, disfiguring, altering, damaging, or demolishing another’s property, without permission. An example of vandalism is spray painting walls, trains, vehicles, bridges, or houses, without the owner’s consent.

According to a report published by The Age, 473,814 car break-ins have been reported in the last decade. Almost 14% of offences reported to the police were car burglaries. Theft from vehicles is the most prevalent crime in about two-thirds of Australia’s metropolitan postcodes. In many seaside postcodes, such as Balnarring, Inverloch, Rosebud West, and Rye, burglaries in residences are common criminal offences.

In the last 10 years, fast-growing localities on the outskirts of Melbourne, such as Craigieburn, Clyde, and Cranbourne, have seen a sharp increase in residential burglaries. Craigieburn, in northern Melbourne, reported the highest increase in the total number of crimes. In 2017 itself, the area witnessed 4359 criminal incidents, double the number a decade ago.

The psychological and emotional impact of a crime like burglary or robbery can be severe, and it reduces the decision-making ability of a victim. Knowing how and where to find the right information is crucial. Paramatta Criminal Lawyer, with its team of law experts, can guide you and help you with the compensation process for your financial loss.