Legal Definitions - common and notorious thief

A common and notorious thief refers to an individual who is widely recognized, often by law enforcement or within a community, for habitually committing acts of theft. This term describes someone whose reputation as a thief is well-established due to a consistent pattern of stealing.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a small town where a particular individual, let's call him Mark, is frequently seen loitering around local shops. Over several months, various store owners report missing items, and security footage consistently shows Mark taking merchandise without paying. Eventually, the police and most shopkeepers in town come to know Mark by name as the person responsible for these thefts. In this scenario, Mark would be considered a common and notorious thief because his repeated acts of shoplifting have made him widely known for his thievery within that community.

• Consider a major city's public transportation system. There's a person, Sarah, who has been arrested multiple times over the past few years for pickpocketing commuters on crowded trains and buses. Transit police officers across different precincts recognize her from mugshots and incident reports. They are familiar with her methods and often spot her attempting to steal. Sarah fits the description of a common and notorious thief because her frequent arrests and consistent criminal activity have made her well-known to law enforcement agencies operating within the transit system.

• Picture a residential neighborhood where packages frequently go missing from doorsteps. Residents start sharing doorbell camera footage on local social media groups, and a consistent image of the same individual stealing packages emerges. Over time, many residents recognize this person and warn their neighbors about them. The individual's pattern of theft and the community's collective awareness of their identity and actions establish them as a common and notorious thief within that neighborhood.