In Chapter 7, we discussed crimes against people. In this chapter, we will again go over broad categories of crimes – property crimes and public order crimes. Crimes against people have very clear victims and it can be easy to trace the impact of those violent offenses. Also, while anyone can commit crimes against people, it is most often not a random act by a stranger. There is commonly some level of relationship between the offender and the victim in murder, assault, rape, and robbery. Of course, this is not always the case, but it is more common than when we talk about property crimes and, especially public order crimes. Property crimes and public order crimes are also considered smaller or less harmful than violent crimes, which means they also have lesser punishments compared to crimes against people. These crimes are still a violation, though, and the law requires that the person who commits them be held accountable. The punishments can range from simple fines all the way up to time in prison. Let’s look at the different types of property crimes first, then we will talk about crimes against the public order.