Roughly half of burglaries and a quarter of thefts were reported during the period. Reports of personal theft, which includes things such as purse snatching and pocket-picketing, have fluctuated the most, from 25.8% in 1993 to a peak of 37.6% in 1996 to 35% in 2000. The reporting rates for violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, aggravated and simple assault) have been included for comparison purposes. The main reason people report property crimes, says the Justice Department, is to collect insurance. But the second most cited reason was, simply, that victims "knew it was a crime."
Who reports property crimes to the police? In 2000, 35.6% of men and 35.9% of women did. White men reported more than black men (35.7% and 35.5%). Black women reported more property crimes than white women (35.4% and 37.6%).
Why do so many property crimes go unreported? The major reason, according to Department of Justice statistics, is that the item is often recovered without help of the police. People cite lack of proof as the second most common reason. Also, with many thefts valued at less than $250, the victim may deem reporting the crime simply not worth the bother. When analyzing reasons by specific crime (theft, motor vehicle, or burglary) other, more troubling, reasons surface. Many of those victimized think that the police don't care. Smaller shares of victims think that law enforcement is inefficient, ineffective, or biased.
Top Reasons for Not Reporting Property Crimes, (Percent Citing)3
| Total property crime | Burglary | Motor vehicle theft | Theft | |
| Object recovered/offender unsuccessful | 25.7 | 20.5 | 21.3 | 26.5 |
| Lack of proof | 12.1 | 16.5 | 12.0 | 11.4 |
| Reported to another official | 10.8 | 6.8 | 5.6 | 11.4 |
| Police would not want to be bothered | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 8.3 |
| Unable to recover property -no ID number | 7.3 | 7.2 | NA | 7.4 |
| Not aware of crime until later | 5.5 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 5.2 |
| Private or personal matter | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| Not important enough | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
| Police inefficient, ineffective or biased | 2.7 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 2.5 |
One must wonder about some of the attitudes about the police. Are these simply stereotypes? Have victims reported crimes and been met with indifference? Also, how do we decide that a theft is "not important enough" to be reported to law enforcement? Should every crime be reported?
Source: Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington D.C., USGPO, 2001, p. 209.
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