crime & crime prevention library

 

Crime and Crime Prevention is a challenge for every government and society. Learn more about how governments deal with crime, criminals and crime prevention.

Featured Article:  How could someone steal a painting from a museum?

With modern security, how can thieves walk out of a museum with millions of dollars worth of art? It usually just takes force and a little bravado. See more »

10 Terribly Bungled Crimes

10 Terribly Bungled Crimes

Every once in a while, we read about an amazing heist that required skill, cunning and thought. But for every one of those, there are those that fail horribly.

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5 Impressive Art Heists

5 Impressive Art Heists

While not every heist can compare to the "Thomas Crown Affair," several jobs stand out for their ingenuity. How does a thief walk off with a work of art?

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5 Largest Diamond Heists

5 Largest Diamond Heists

A diamond heist is no mere robbery. It's a feat of patience and engineering that yields enormous payouts. So what are the five largest heists?

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Breaking Out: A Dozen Great Escapes

Breaking Out: A Dozen Great Escapes

The TV show "Prison Break" is the story of a structural engineer named Michael Scofield who gets himself locked up so that he can help his brother escape death row. Learn about some amazing real-life escapes.

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Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

With each new crime that pops up, another method of detection is developed; and with each new crime that pops up, another means of protecting yourself comes to light. Learn about various crimes and the available means of detection, protection, and punishment.

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Do criminal psychopaths enjoy other people's fear or just not notice it?

Do criminal psychopaths enjoy other people's fear or just not notice it?

Psychopaths can commit horrible crimes without feeling any guilt at all. A recent study of psychopathic brains may shed some light on what's going on -- or not going on -- in these people's heads.

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Fact or Fiction: Is That Legal?

Fact or Fiction: Is That Legal?

Do you follow the straight and narrow, or are you known for breaking all the rules? However you choose to live your life, it still pays to know the law. Of course, this quickly gets complicated. Countries have their own laws, as do individual states.

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Fact or Fiction: Serial Killers

Fact or Fiction: Serial Killers

Serial killers aren't always creepy loners who live with their mothers -- sometimes they're seemingly average churchgoers with wives and kids. How much do you know about the history of serial killers -- and would you know one if he were living next door?

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How could someone steal a painting from a museum?

How could someone steal a painting from a museum?

With modern security, how can thieves walk out of a museum with millions of dollars worth of art? It usually just takes force and a little bravado.

See more »
How Criminal Recycling Works

How Criminal Recycling Works

There's a growing band of lawbreakers in town tarnishing recycling's squeaky green reputation. Who are these criminals, and why are they desperate for copper?

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How Diamond Thieves Work

How Diamond Thieves Work

Diamond thieves can be clever criminals who orchestrate multimillion-dollar heists or small-time jewelers who switch the real thing for fakes. What makes stealing a diamond so attractive?

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How do you keep a safe house safe?

How do you keep a safe house safe?

Maybe you're an escaped criminal or an undercover spy. You're someone who needs to stay under the radar. What you need is a safe house.

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How Lethal Injection Works

How Lethal Injection Works

Lethal injection is not a light topic, but it's the subject of much debate. Find out about the various procedures.

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How Pirates Work

How Pirates Work

Aye, matey! Hold on to your peg leg as we look at how pirates work, whether they're robbing and plundering in the 17th century or the 21st. We'll look at past and present definitions of piracy and the laws that deal with modern pirates.

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How Prisons Work

How Prisons Work

As an abstract term, prison is quite simple, but for anyone who has ever done time, it's incredibly complex. Learn what life is like inside prisons in the United States.

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How Serial Killers Work

How Serial Killers Work

What makes a person not only murder, but murder multiple people over days, weeks and even years? There's a special name for these types of murderers: serial killers.

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How Terrorism Works

How Terrorism Works

Long before Sept. 11, governments, guerrillas, freedom fighters and insurgents were hijacking planes, plotting to blow up the British parliament and generally sowing fear to achieve an objective. So why is defining terrorism so hard?

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How the Future Crime Database Will Work

How the Future Crime Database Will Work

The police knock on your door, and a knot forms in your stomach when you're told the reason for the handcuffs: You're being arrested for a crime you haven't committed -- yet.

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How the Judicial System Works

How the Judicial System Works

The United States is renowned for having one of the most sophisticated judicial systems in the world. Every day thousands of people take part in this system, hoping to settle disputes and work for justice. Learn how the U.S. judicial system works.

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How U.S. Criminal Records Work

How U.S. Criminal Records Work

Does the mere mention of a criminal record invoke thoughts of something sinister to you? As it turns out, having a criminal record in the United States isn't as uncommon as it once was.

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