Criminology - Crime and Its Causes

When a crime is committed, there is always a reason or a motive behind it. It is quite important to understand the mindset of a criminal. What thought goes through their mind, what leads them to committing crime and many such questions and their answers can only be obtained by learning about crime and its causes.

The study of the causes, nature and extent of crimes as well as behavior of the criminals, intended for understanding crimes in a better manner; and for implementing various new policies in the criminal justice system is called Criminology. This study is principally related to etiology which is the study of causes or reasons for crime. People who do research in the field of criminology are called criminologists.

Criminology provides many theories on why crimes are committed by criminals on the basis of assumption about human nature. There are many theories that exist in criminology. Now let us move forward and take a look at the conventional theories.

Mainstream Criminology:

• Strain - This theory is based on the dreams and aspirations that people possess. Sometimes people keep really high expectations or dreams and when those dreams don't get fulfilled, they experience strain. At that moment, people either choose to reduce their aspirations or increase the opportunities. When people choose the later, the chances are that they might take the path of crime.

• Learning - This theory explains the changes that take place in a criminals mind due to the experiences from the surrounding environment. Science has proven that the experiences in life are stored in an organized form in the mind. If the person lives or has spent a long time in an improper neighborhood or environment, it develops negative effect on the mind.

• Control - The theory of control is entirely about a person's bonding with the society. It specially focuses on an individual's relation with their parents, coaches, teachers or any other person to whom they look up to for learning how to socialize. Control theory studies that how the bonding of a person with the society is directly correlated to their relationship with their socializing figures.

The above mentioned theories are just the mainstream or commonly used theories in trying to figure the causes of crime. There are many other factors that can be responsible for a person performing any crime. It can also be a psychological disorder, biological factors, economical factors etc.

No one is born a bad guy. It's just the circumstances or the events that makes one choose the wrong path. Crime exists in any society and is nearly inevitable. But it is necessary to learn more about crime and its causes to reduce the rate of crime.

Viewers can get report on the other theories of crime and its causes from a free search engine, "jrank.org". The viewers can also search for information on other topics like law, family, business etc.

Explaining Violent Crimes

Violent crimes refer to any criminal offense which involves the use of or threat of force towards another person. Violent crime covers a broad spectrum of violent crimes which are divided into five categories by the United States Department of Justice. These include murder, rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.

With violent crimes, violence can either be the objective or they can be a means to an end (as in robbery). Additionally, a violent crime may or may not involve the use of a weapon. A person can murder another human being with their bare hands or in a more insidious way, such as poison. They do not have to use a firearm or knife to commit such a heinous crime.

Violent crimes are prosecuted as felonies, which means that a conviction can involve years in a state prison. Not only can they involve a lengthy prison sentence, the state of Florida enacted the "three strikes law" in 1996. That means that a violent felony conviction would count as a "strike" on your criminal record.

What is the three strikes law? The three strikes laws were enacted by state governments of the United States. These laws require the state courts to hand down mandatory sentences to criminals who have been convicted of a violent felony on three or more separate occasions. Florida is one of the states that have adopted their own form of habitual offender laws.

Under the three strikes law, repeat offenders are subjected to increased and extended prison sentences. They are also limited or, in some cases, prohibited from receiving an alternative form of punishment other than a prison sentence.

In addition to the "three strikes law," the state of Florida is one of the states that carry the death penalty. This means that individuals who are facing serious violent crime charges such as murder, could be sentenced to death in a court of law.

Although most violent crimes involve the use of force or violence, a crime can still be categorized as a violent crime even if it only involved the "threat" of violence. For example, the crime of assault falls under this category. Assault can vary depending on the facts surrounding the case, however, assault by definition involves the threat or use of force. Physical contact does not need to take place in order to be convicted of assault; simply the threat of violence is sufficient.

Assault charges can range from simple assault to aggravated assault. Simple assault can be charged as a misdemeanor, however, it is often prosecuted as a felonious crime. Battery, on the other hand, involves actual physical contact with the victim.

Sexual assault and rape are categorized as violent sex crimes. Sexual assault refers to non-consensual sexual contact, whereas rape is associated with non-consensual sexual intercourse. Furthermore, sexual crimes committed against children are felonies.

Robbery is a violent crime where the victim is typically confronted by a weapon. Robbers commonly use a firearm or knife to instill fear in their victim, in order to get them to hand over their purse or wallet. Carjacking is a similar type offense where the carjacker will threaten to use a weapon against the victim unless they turn over their vehicle.

Homicide charges are by far the most serious types of violent crimes as they involve the death of another human being. Murder and manslaughter charges are divided into degrees. For example, a person who meticulously plans to murder their victim and lies in wait for them can be guilty of a capital offense and sentenced to death, whereas a person who accidentally strikes and kills a pedestrian with their car will face lighter sanctions.

Violent crimes are inherently serious in nature, thus a conviction can ruin your life. Those convicted of violent crimes face lengthy prison sentences; therefore defending them requires the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney.

It is not entirely uncommon for extenuating circumstances to lead to "criminal acts," therefore a strong defense is your only option. A criminal defense attorney will know how to cross-examine evidence and witness testimony. They will also have the tools to unearth any mitigating evidence that could help you achieve a more favorable outcome in the charges against you.

The Law Offices of DiRenzo & Weick is a criminal defense firm serving the residents of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. Their firm has been successfully defending clients for more than seventeen years. At DiRenzo & Weick, you can feel confident knowing that your case will be handled by an experienced Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer who you can trust. No matter what brought you to the charges, they believe their clients are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, they will place the burden of proof upon the prosecution to prove otherwise. You are urged to take action immediately by contacting their firm at (866) 622-0636 for a free case evaluation!

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Crime Scene Procedures for Police Officers and Investigators

Police officers and investigators that work for law enforcement agencies in the nation must learn about crime scene procedures in order to be successful in their goals of aiding, serving, and protecting the public. The actions that take place during an investigation that involves a crime scene has the potential to play a vital role when it comes to the resolution of the case. No witnesses should be overlooked and all forms of evidence that are physical based must be considered and not tainted in any manner. While it is important to understand that policies and procedures will vary from one jurisdiction to another, there are many basic crime scene procedures that should take place when a crime has been attempted or performed against some type of property, an individual, or another living creature.

The Initial Response to a Crime Scene

The initial response that a police officer or an investigator makes to a crime scene is the most important aspect of the entire investigation that will take place to determine the details of the crime that has been committed. The crime scene must be preserved as much as possible with little to no contamination. Disturbing physical evidence that may be present at a crime scene could mean the difference between a case being solved and not being solved. The law enforcement officers that arrive on the scene must make many observations. It is important to see who is at the scene, events that are transpiring at the scene, any physical items that could be evidence and even the conditions surrounding the scene - such as weather conditions, how people are relating to each other, and other situations.

Ensuring Safety

The next step that law enforcement officers should indulge in is ensuring that all individuals that are in or around the crime scene are completely safe. In addition to this, it is important that the law enforcement response team guarantees that there is no immediate threat to the other emergency response personnel that may need to go in or around the scene of the crime that they are investigating. In the process of ensuring safety, it is important for police officers and investigators to determine if there is a need for emergency medical care. If the need is present, the professionals should administer that care until the appropriate individuals arrive - such as first responders, the fire department, or the paramedics.

Controlling the Movements of All Present

Once emergency care has been issued to those in need, the police officers and investigators must then control the movements of all of the individuals at the scene. The purpose and intent of this is to ensure that all responsible parties are held responsible for their actions and to conduct interviews and acquire statements from any and all people involved or those that witnessed the chain of events that occurred at the scene. Many officers focus on this aspect of the crime scene procedure in an effort to prevent vital evidence from being destroyed and/or removed. This is an important aspect of minimizing the loss and contamination of evidence and gathering additional pieces of information that will assist in solving the case.

The Evidence

While gathering evidence, there are many procedures that police officers and investigators may indulge in. First, the crime scene will be controlled through the means of distinguished boundaries. Second, individuals wishing to go in and out of the scene will be limited. Physical evidence will be marked. Physical identifiers such as shoe prints and fingerprints will be lifted, organized, and stored for the duration of the investigation. The collection, preservation, and the transport of evidence to the appropriate labs will be conducted and the concluding interviews with suspects, victims, and witnesses will be concluded. By indulging in these crime scene procedures, police officers, investigators, and other law enforcement personnel will be able to effectively resolve nearly one hundred percent of all cases.

Crime scene evidence collection supplies and fingerprinting kits are just a few of the police tactical gear items carried at The See Group, where discount police gear is their priority.

Does Smoking Weed Contribute to Crime?

Do you think smoking marijuana can cause someone to commit crime?

We all know that buying, selling and using marijuana is in itself illegal, and thousands of arrests are made each year to combat this problem. However, does marijuana lead to other crimes as well? According to a recent study, it just might.

Currently there are hundreds of pieces of literature that discuss the relationship between drugs and crime, yet most of those articles are concerned with drugs other than marijuana, such as cocaine, heroin and alcohol. One study, however, looked at marijuana exclusively and found there was a "very strong relationship between marijuana use and the commission of a number of different crimes."

A Quick Note about Violent Crime

Prior research into marijuana use has often concluded that marijuana lessens the tendency to be aggressive, but as these studies become more advanced we are beginning to see that long-term marijuana use, because of its tendency to produce undesired mental effects, may indeed lead to violent behavior.

Furthermore, close to 50 percent of violent juvenile offenders consistently test positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

Marijuana and Crime

Marijuana is a crime in itself. Each year, millions of dollars and resources are used to patrol, arrest, trial and detain offenders who are either buying or selling marijuana. Pro-legalization advocates often cite these economic statistics and claim it is reason number one why marijuana should be legalized.

What these advocates fail to mention, however, is the link between marijuana and other crimes committed, and what effect legalization would actually have on the overall crime rate.

In the United States alone, 60 percent of all arrestees in the past five years tested positive for marijuana in urine tests, and while this data may be a bit misleading in terms of a direct causal link (marijuana can remain in the system for up to 3 months) it gives you an idea about the effects of marijuana on our society.

There is really no way to prove for certain that marijuana, or any other drug for that matter, directly leads to crime, but with these type of statistics listed below, it's fairly easy to make educated inferences.

Marijuana is often the drug of choice for people who claim gang membership, and over 50 percent of all gang arrestees self report that they had used marijuana within 3 days before the time of their arrest. These gangs account for a large portion of both violent and non-violent crime in the United States.
Marijuana is the most widely used drug in the US, and statistically, those who use marijuana on a regular basis are 30 percent more likely to be arrested than non-users.
Over 25 percent of convicted murderers admit to a marijuana drug habit at the time of their crime.
Marijuana users often commit income and property related crime as a method for attaining resources to fund their drug habit. Not to the level of over addictive drugs like heroin, but it still occurs and is hard to overlook.
Marijuana is a contributing factor in almost 30 percent of auto-related accidents and fatalities.
Proponents of marijuana legalization want us to believe that legalizing this drug will help to alleviate crimes of this nature, but it's very difficult to predict the actual effect legalization will have. It will almost certainly lead to an increased number of people using, which in turn may lead to more violence and more crime.

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How to Start a Crime Scene Clean-Up Career and Or Business

To start in crime scene cleaning business you do not need to have an advanced degree In fact, a large number of crime scene business and technicians don't even have a high school or college diplomas. To work in the crime scene clean-up industry you must have a strong stomach and a willingness to do be exposed to violence and maintain a professional attitude.

The Crime Scene clean-up business will also challenge your skills. It requires a strong background in construction. Since most of the scenes are cleaned according to strict OSHA guidelines.

Crimes are different in size and locations some crimes involve Cleaning blood off walls and small fragments, removing blood stained carpeting, disposing of furniture according to the state laws, dealing with decomposed bodies or murder victims remains such as teeth, noses and even bone fragments embedded in walls and callings. Crime scene cleaning requires extensive training in blood Bourne pathogen, Personal protective gear and much more areas.

Most of the crime scene cleaning is done according to strict OSHA rules and guidelines. Most crime scene clean up Technicians have to wear protective gear also called a Hazmat suit, complete with special respirators and chemical-spill boots and covers. There are more areas of service in crime scene clean up. Some companies specialize in Meth Lab clean-up, to clear out illegal drug labs after the local police identifies the facility and red tag till it is properly cleaned adequate for someone to move in and live in a safe environment.

Working for a crime-scene clean-up companies, will require you to take certification courses that cover:

1. OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard 29CFR 1910.1030

2. OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard 29CFR 1910.134

3. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard 29CFR 1910.1200

4. Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan

5. Respiratory Protection Program

6. Hazard Communication Program

7. Universal precautions procedures

8. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

9. Proper containment, storing and disposing of Hazmat waste.

10. Deodorization/Odor removal techniques

11. Policies and procedures

12. Basic construction knowledge

The official hours are not set. You can be dissipated by the police at anytime during the day or night. If you are interested in pursuing a career and/Or business in the crime scene clean up industry please visit our site www.scenecleanllc.com and click on careers. If you want to earn six figures cleaning up.

Those who are starting out in the field might make $45,000 to $55,000 a year as a full-time employee.

Your best chances of making six figures anywhere is to own your own business. This is also a rewarding filed. We help survivors of violence and give them a piece of mind and help them live in a safe environment.

"I would like to make a difference." Some companies take advantage of family victims and insurance companies visit our site http://www.scenecleanllc.com and click on careers for more details.

SCENECLEANLLC.COM

A look back at the morning of September 11, 2001

(CBS News) It has been a decade since terrorists attacked our homeland, destroying buildings on this hallowed ground, and killing nearly 3,000 Americans.

As CBS' "The Early Show" co-anchor Chris Wragge explained, 10 years after the attacks, Americans are still adjusting to life after 9/11. It's something none of us could have foreseen on that fateful September morning.

On Sept. 11, 2001, the sun rose that late summer morning, shimmering against the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan, revealing one of the most beautiful days of the year.

It was a morning that would change the world forever.

The day's top story: Michael Jordan's unexpected return to professional basketball. The headlines on the front pages were filled with business news, and the ongoing debate over stem cell research.

All that changed shortly before 9 a.m., when 19 terrorists hijacked four airplanes. Air traffic controllers were the first to hear the sound of terror.

"Nobody move, everything will be okay. If you try to make any moves, you will injure yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet," Mohammed Atta warned passengers on board American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower.

Aviation officials helplessly tracked the second plane, United Flight 175. The crash, just 17 minutes later, made clear the country was under attack.

White house chief of staff Andy Card whispered the news into the ear of President George W. Bush, who was reading with school children at Emma E. Booker elementary school in Sarasota, Fla.

After meeting with advisors, the president found himself in the school library addressing a nation, in shock.

"Today, we've had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country," the president said, less than an hour after the first attack.

They were hours of pure panic and terror: for those who were running for safety, and for a nation watching on television, wondering what would come next.

Moments later, a third plane, American Flight 77, this time into the Pentagon.

Frantic lawmakers evacuated the Capitol and the White House was on lockdown. United Airlines Flight 93, the fourth and final plane heading their way, taken down near Shanksville, Pa. by selfless heroes who saved countless lives, even if they couldn't save their own.

Then, the unimaginable happened. At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower (tower 2), standing 110 stories into the sky, reduced to rubble in seconds. Twenty nine minutes later, it's twin, the North Tower, fell to the ground. Two symbols of American pride, America's two tallest buildings, had vanished before our eyes. And with them, thousands of innocent victims who had begun to fill their offices for work that morning.

Left in their places, was a burial ground, a crime scene, a war zone. It became known as "ground zero."

First responders were just beginning a herculean task that would last through countless days and nights. The fire at ground zero would burn for another 3 months.

But already by morning a new reality had set it. America had just experienced its darkest day.

SPECIAL CBS NEWS SECTION: 9/11 ten years later

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Westerville Intersection Reopens After Suspicious-Package Investigation

Credit: NBC 4

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By: Donna Willis
Published: September 09, 2011
Updated: September 09, 2011 - 6:27 PM »  Comments | Post a Comment

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- An intersection reopens and evacuations end after a suspicious-package investigation Friday evening.

Westerville fire and police responded to investigate a suspicious package, and the intersection of South State Street (state Route 3) and West Park Street was closed.

Authorities closed the intersection shortly before 5 p.m. Friday. The intersection was reopened before 6:30 p.m.

Columbus fire's bomb squad as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol also was called to the scene.

Two homes were evacuated as a safety precaution.

Authorities said in a release Friday night that a suspicious package was reportedly thrown into the street in front of Hanby Elementary School on S. State Street.  

A subject was detained for questioning after witnesses reported seeing this person throw the package in the area it was found. Investigators have verified the subject’s claim that the package was picked up from the street and tossed onto the sidewalk to clear the street.

The package was found to contain no threat or contraband. The subject has been released from detention.

Investigators later learned that the package was a lunch bag that had been dropped from a school bus onto the street by a student.

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To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.

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