Abstract

ROCA-MERCADE, Cristina  and  TRESPADERNE-DEDEU, Ariadna. The minor crime of theft in the city of Barcelona. Profile of the offender and comparison according to the type of theft. Rev. logos cienc. tecnol. [online]. 2021, vol.13, n.2, pp.39-55.  Epub July 27, 2021. ISSN 2145-594X.  https://doi.org/10.22335/rlct.v13i2.1412.

The present research aims to analyze the profile of criminals who commit petty theft in the city of Barcelona based on the thievery perpetrated, whether it is commercial or personal. The sample was taken from police proceedings of the Barcelona Urban Guard. 56 crimes of petty theft have been studied, extracting a total of 71 criminals. The results reveal that the thieves are commonly men, young adults, foreigners, who act individually (or in groups in case of the youngest ones), have a residence in Barcelona and a criminal record reiterating the crime of theft, as well as criminal versatility to also commit another type of crimes. Differences are found depending on whether the theft is committed in shops or against people. It is concluded that commercial thieves are more planned and premeditated, while the personal ones are more opportunistic and depend on chance to a greater extent. Finally, this study facilitates decision-making in police work in the prevention of crime, considering the characteristics and crime behavior of offenders according to the type of theft.

Keywords : petty theft; personal theft; commercial theft; profile of the offender; prevention; Barcelona.

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