Public Safety

Crime Definitions

Affirmative Consent:
Affirmative consent is a knowing, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity. Consent can be given by words or actions, as long as those words or actions create clear permission regarding willingness to engage in the sexual activity. Silence or lack of resistance, in and of itself, does not demonstrate consent. The definition of consent does not vary based upon a participant’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Arson:
Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Motor Vehicle Theft:
The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Includes all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned, including joyriding.)

Aggravated Assault:
An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. (It is not necessary that injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used which could and probably would result in serious personal injury if the crime were successfully completed.)

Burglary:
The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Drug/Narcotic Offenses:
Violations of State and local laws relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. The relevant substances include: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (demerol, methadones); and dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbituates, benzedrine).

Hate Crime:
An additional (felony) charge added to a criminal offense against persons (or property) motivated by hate or bias against the victim(s) due to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity.

(ref: Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2000. Also provides for DOJ assistance in prosecution.)

Criminal Homicide:

• Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter – The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.
• Negligent Manslaughter – The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Liquor Law Violations:
The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.

Robbery:
The taking, or attempting to take, anything of value from the care, custody, or control of another person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or putting the victim in fear.

Sex Offenses:

• Forcible Sex Offenses – Any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent.Forcible sex offenses include:
  • The carnal knowledge of a person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (or because of his/her youth).
  • Forcible Sodomy – Oral or anal sexual intercourse with another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
  • Sexual Assault with an Object – The use of an object or instrument to unlawfully penetrate, however slightly, the genital or anal opening of the body of another person, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
  • Forcible Fondling – The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, forcibly and/or against that person’s will; or, not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her youth or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.
• Non-forcible Sex Offenses: – Unlawful, non-forcible sexual intercourse.Non-forcible sex offenses include:
  • Incest – Non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
  • Statutory Rape – Non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Larceny/Theft Offense (Stealing):
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading or riding away of property from the possession of another person.

Weapon Law Violation:
The violation of laws or ordinances dealing with weapon offenses, regulatory in nature, such as: manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.