In criminology, a public-order crime is behavior that has been labeled criminal because it violates shared social norms, values and customs rather than because it directly harms an identifiable victim. Criminologist Larry Siegel defines it as an act that interferes with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently. Deviant behavior tends to be criminalized specifically when it becomes too disruptive to be controlled through informal social sanctions alone.
Facts
Elements of OffenseBehaviour labelled criminal because it is contrary to shared norms, social values, and customs 1 Notable ExampleGambling, narcotics, prostitution, and illegal sales of alcohol, the public-order crimes targeted by vice squads 1 Jurisdiction VariationEngland and Wales: a public-order offence is a separate category relating to disorderly conduct and other breaches of the peace 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Sources
1. Public-order crime (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia, Public-order crime, lead section
"crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently"
Lead section, second clause of the definition
it is behaviour that has been labelled criminal because it is contrary to shared norms, social values, and customs
Vice squad sentence
A vice squad is a police division whose focus is stopping public-order crimes like gambling, narcotics, prostitution, and illegal sales of alcohol.
England and Wales note
disorderly conduct and other breaches of the peace
In Group: Descriptive Crime Categories, Article lead
In criminology, public-order crime is defined by Siegel (2004)
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