Thieves Classification - Essay Example

ification Essay – Thieves McWhirter 2006, p. 169 defines the offense of theft as “taking of property or an exercise of control over property without consent with criminal intent to deprive the owner of rights and benefits of ownership, even if such deprivation is less than total or permanent. Taking cue from the intent aspect of theft, thieves can be classified into groups based on the intent of the action. Thieves can be classified into three main groups. The first group consists of thieves, who find thrill in the act of theft to make a mockery of existing social norms.

Since the action may not include personal benefit, it may include distribution of the ill-gotten among the needy. The story of Robin Hood and his men in the Sherwood Forests of Nottingham is tale of such a group of thieves. The second classification of thieves is the group consisting of those with the behavioral addiction of kleptomania. The disease of kleptomania is marked with the repetitive and uncontrollable desire to indulge in stealing of things that may not be intended for personal use (Grant, 2009).

The final group is the largest group of thieves and consists of those with the intent of personal gain in the action of theft. The size of this group allows for it to be used as an example for further classification into sub-groups. These sub groups are opportunity thieves, smasher thieves, prowler thieves, targeted thieves, and complete thieves. Opportunity thieves are those that use theft opportunities that are easy quick and petty. The desperation causes a smash burglar to break in through locked windows and doors.

Prowler thieves in a sense are opportunity thieves, for they study their victims’ schedules for theft opportunities, before the action. Targeted thieves go after definite objects, normally of high value. The complete burglars normally conduct their operations in houses or stores that are characterized by their virtual taking of all the goods in the premises (Evans, 2010). Literary References Evans, J. D. (2010). ‘The Five Different Professional Thieves, and how they Work’. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from Web Site: http://www.

thinkwriteconnect.com/professional-thieves-work/ Grant, J. E. (2009). Opiod Antagonists in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling and Kleptomania. In eds. Reginald Dean, Edward, J. Bilsky & S. Stevens Negus, Opiate Receptors and Antagonists: From Bench to Clinic (pp.445-456). New York: Humana Press.McWhirter, R. J. (2006). The Criminal Lawyer’s Guide to Immigration Law: Questions and Answers. Chicago, Illinois: ABA Publishing.