Term
| Elements of the crime of arson |
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Definition
| Willful, malicious burning of a building or property; of another, or of one’s own to defraud; or causing to be burned, or aiding, counseling or procuring such burning. |
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Term
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Definition
| National Fire Protection Association's standards - 1st: burning of dwellings; 2nd: burning of buildings other than dwellings; 3rd: burning of other property; 4th: attempted burning. |
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Term
| Aggravated v. simple arson |
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Definition
| Aggravated creates imminent danger to someone’s life/great bodily harm and considers risks known or reasonably foreseeable; simple lacks imminent danger |
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Term
| Primary motivations for arson |
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Definition
| Revenge; vandalism; diversion/concealment of another crime; intimidation/extortion; psychiatric problems |
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Term
| Agencies that can assist in arson investigation |
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Definition
| Primary federal agency is ATF; also fire department, fire marshals, insurance investigators |
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Term
| Challenges to arson investigation |
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Definition
| Coordinating different agencies' efforts; sometimes difficult to determine if there was a crime; collection of physical evidence in the destruction; finding witnesses; determining if the victim is the suspect |
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Term
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Definition
| Accelerant stains/patterns; multiple points of origin; abnormal burn patterns; burning hotter or faster than expected; abnormally collapsed walls. |
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Term
| Common motivations for bombings |
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Definition
| Vandalism/pranks; protest; revenge; terrorism |
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Term
| Differences between high and low explosives |
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Definition
| High is over 2200 ft/second, low is under; high burns fast, low slower; low requires container, high does not; high require an initiating explosion, low can be started with a flame. |
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Term
| Examples of high explosives |
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Definition
| dynamite (rare), plastique (military-grade, including C-4), binary (often used industrially; each element is safe alone but explosive when placed together) |
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Term
| Examples of low explosives |
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Definition
| black powder (not the same as gunpowder), flash powder (in fireworks), match heads |
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Term
| Hazards/problems with bomb investigations |
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Definition
| Possible unstable buildings; extensive scope of scene possibly requiring search warrants; evidence collection can require heavy equipment; media attention/public interest; confusion/fear; environmental concerns; lack of adequate training; possibility of a second bomb |
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Term
| Objectives in a bomb investigation |
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Definition
| Determine motive (why detonated?), opportunity (how detonated?), and means (how constructed - fragmentation or blast device?) |
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Term
| Classifications of computer crimes |
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Definition
| Harmful content crime (ex: child porn), fraudulent activity (ex: ID theft), technology (ex: industrial espionage, encryption) |
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Term
| Frequent targets of computer criminals |
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Definition
| Businesses; individuals; schools; financial institutions |
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Term
| 5 natures of computer crimes |
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Definition
| Input data (accessing/changing data in files), output data (theft of data for personal reasons), computer program (altering programs), computer hardware (theft), computer software (piracy) |
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Term
| Common motives for computer crime |
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Definition
| Ignorance of proper professional conduct; misguided playfulness; personal gain; maliciousness/revenge |
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Term
| Major challenges to investigating computer crime |
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Definition
| Lack of professional training; lack of understanding by the justice system; proliferation of the crimes; fragility of evidence; jurisdictional issues; need for specialists/teamwork; better toys |
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Term
| Understand the nature of the computer criminal |
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Definition
| Most often are technical people; usually have reputation as honest/hardworking/respected; usually no past criminal history; often work in authorized work time |
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Term
| Characteristics and traits of organized crime |
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Definition
| Interested in high-profit enterprises: gambling, drugs, prostitution, extortion; very structured and controlled; top leadership is well-insulated; structured chains of authority; rigid discipline and codes of conduct; maintain control through force/threats; protect themselves through corruption |
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Term
| Major methods of going against organized crime |
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Definition
| Specific illegal acts; conspiracy charges; revenue laws |
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Term
| Definition and uses of RICO |
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Definition
| Allows confiscation of anything illegally gotten. RICO makes it illegal to: acquire any enterprise with money from illegal activity; acquire, maintain or control any enterprise by illegal means; use any enterprise to conduct illegal activity. Problems with over-use to cover police budgets. Many criminals now lease/rent, but still a very good means to hit them in the wallet – asset forfeiture hits their income. |
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Term
| Agencies frequently working together to investigate organized crime |
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Definition
| FBI, local agencies, Secret Service , Labor Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, IRS, DEA, Postal inspectors, Federal Office of Inspectors General |
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Term
| Problems with investigating organized crime |
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Definition
| Lack of citizen cooperation; code of silence among members; wealth, power and organization; corruption within justice system; complexity of targets; international scope due to world-wide economies |
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