THE STUDY INVESTIGATED THE MODUS OPERANDI, MOTIVES, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LARCENY CASES. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF CASES ACCUMULATED OVER A 1-MONTH TIME PERIOD, AND DEALT WITH OFFENDERS -- MALE AND FEMALE -- WHO WERE AGED 20 YEARS AND OLDER. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED TO CLARIFY GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CASES, SUCH AS AGE OF THE OFFENDER, MOTIVE, AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS. THE TRAITS OF THE CASES BY MODUS OPERANDI, SEX OF THE OFFENDER, AND AREA (OFFENDER'S DWELLING PLACE AND OFFENSE SPOT) ARE EXAMINED. RESULTS INDICATE THAT UNEMPLOYMENT WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR, THAT MOST OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED ON IMPULSE, AND THAT SHOPLIFTING WAS THE FAVORITE CRIME, CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY BREAKING-THIEVING. BREAKING-THIEVING CASES USUALLY INVOLVED MALE OFFENDERS, WHO WERE UNMARRIED AND HAD UNSTABLE JOBS. THEY WERE OFTEN RECIDIVISTS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF SHOPLIFTING OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED BY FEMALES, PARTICULARLY HOUSEWIVES OVER AGE OF 30. THESE OFFENSES WERE USUALLY PERPETRATED CLOSE TO THE OFFENDER'S DWELLING PLACE. RATES OF CRIME ARE PRESENTED ACCORDING TO CERTAIN AREAS AND TO SPECIFIC TYPES OF LARCENY. DECISIONMAKING OF PUBLIC PROSECUTORS REGARDING PROSECUTION OR SUSPENSION OF A CASE AND THE USE OF SUSPENDED SENTENCING WERE EXAMINED. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF THE OFFENDER IS CRUCIAL IN THE DECISION TO PROSECUTE THE CASE. ALSO, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE, THE REPARATION OF DAMAGE, THE MOTIVES, AND THE RELATION BETWEEN THE DWELLING PLACE AND THE PLACE OF OFFENSE ARE INFLUENCING FACTORS. THE ANALYSIS MADE IT POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY TYPES OF OFFENDERS LIKELY TO BE PROSECUTED OR SUSPENDED. ALTHOUGH THE STUDY WAS LIMITED BY THE NARROW SCOPE OF THE SAMPLE, THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANALYSES COULD BE USEFUL AS ESSENTIAL MATERIALS FOR THE FAIR APPLICATION OF PUNITIVE POWER AND PERTINENT TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS. (DAG)