A Socioeconomic Model for the Prediction of Societal Rates of Property Theft

A model for the prediction of societal rates of property theft is deduced by applying the socioeconomic principles governing conventional markets to the transactions involved in property theft. In deducing this model, a distinction is made between professional and amateur thieves. The model is tested with data from five countries and is supported. The implication of the model that the actions of victims as well as those of criminals determine rates of property crime is pointed out.