What is the difference between professional and ordinary criminals?

Difference between professional and ordinary criminals

Professional criminals differ from ordinary or conventional criminals. The difference may be discussed at several levels:

(1) Professional criminals are skilled in their criminal activity but not the conventional criminals.

(2) Professional criminals depend on crime as a main source of earning their livelihood but not the ordinary criminals.

(3) Professional criminals are habitual criminals but not ordinary criminals.

(4) Professional criminals not only regard themselves as criminals but are also known to others as criminals, while many ordinary criminals think that they are not criminals but are the victims of circumstances. Others also may or may not regard them as criminals.

(5) Professional criminals get status and recognition only in the underworld while the ordinary criminals have status in the conventional world too.

(6) Professional criminals avoid other types of criminals and associate primarily with one another but ordinary criminals associate with other criminals too.

(7) Professional criminals have their own philosophy of life but this is not true of ordinary criminals.

(8) Professional criminals tend to come from better economic backgrounds than do ordinary criminals.

(9) Professional criminals begin their career in crime at a relatively late age as compared to ordinary criminals.

(10) Professional criminals tend to continue in crime for most part of their lives but not ordinary criminals.