Organized Crime
The Role of the Police in Combating Organized Crime
Organized crime is systematically unlawful activity for profit on a citywide, interstate, and international scale. ("Organized Crime, U.S. History, 2005) Because organized crime often involves interstate criminal activity, it might be inaccurately assumed that the local police do not have a critical role in combating the spread of such criminal activities. The most useful legal tool in combating organized crime is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), passed by Congress in 1970, that prohibits interstate criminal activity and holds the organizer of the activity accountable, even if the so-called kingpin merely ordered and did not commit the crime. ("Organized Crime, U.S. History, 2005)
However, by vigilant community enforcing of such crimes as illicit drug dealing and use, prostitution, and illegal gambling that are often the result of organized criminal activity, every police officer in America serves a vital role in containing organized crime and making such crimes less profitable. Although the role of society in the commission of crime is frequently debated, a criminal organization depends in part on support from the society in which it exists, and by destabilizing such support and limiting vice crimes, local police officers fulfill a vital role.
Police officers must do all they can to destabilize such a relationship between criminal groups and communities. Criminal organizations usually arise in closely knit immigrant groups that do not trust the local police and other authorities, thus the lower the level of trust between police and law-abiding residents, the more apt illegal organizations may form and even attempt to assume the policing role in a community. The Italian-American Mafia is one such example. ("Organized Crime, U.S. History, 2005)
Disrespect for the law, particularly prohibition, is also thought to have fostered organized criminal support in America. This is one reason as well the police must seek to fairly enforce the law, so that anti-immigrant or racial bias does not give added incentive to support for organized criminal figures. Today, white-collar crimes, other immigrant groups, and organizations of great international scope are all part of the 'profile' of organized crime, but no matter how daunting, this must act as a spur for renewed vigor in local enforcement.
Works Cited
Organized Crime." (2005) U.S. History Website. Retrieved 28 Oct 2005 at http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1596.html
Organized Crime has been witnessed to prosper with the infiltration on legitimate businesses in a way that they associate themselves in order to steal from the host. Organized crime organizations execute such activities in order to generate income, sweep profits, achieve more power, and launder wealth (Abadinsky, 2009). The crimes that are committed by the individuals that are employed in the legitimate corporations are particularly known as white collar crimes.
Organized Crime in America, Dennis Kenney and Jim Finckenauer note that the movie "The Godfather had more influence on the public mind and the minds of many public officials than did any library filled with scholarly works that argued for the true nature of organized crime" (Mario pp). The scenes from "The Godfather" are among the most often recalled and parodied in screen history (Fox pp). Released in 1972, it won
Organized crime presents certain unique challenges for law enforcement in the 21st century. As noted by Bjelopera & Finklea (2012) in their report to Congress on the history of organized criminal activity in the United States, modern organized criminal networks tend to be more fluid and less hierarchical than organized associations of the past. Organized crime networks are also more apt to outsource critical aspects of their operations, which can
The effectual activities that have resulted in such kinds of organized crime activities involve compromising of the technological approaches and systems. Such technological approaches are used to transmit money from one section of the country to another. Reports indicate that many organized crime activities and perpetrators assume the roles of paying for elections through their corrupt deals. These deals ensure continuity of their businesses when they get to government. The
This creates an environment for criminal organizations where they "... can operate in parallel to existing business and government institutions" Shaw uses the Soviet Union as a good example of this phenomenon. "...the collapse of communist rule allowed the emergence of literally thousands of criminal organisations involving current and former members of the establishment " (Shaw). As Shaw and others points out, a situation where there are functional links between
The number of hours that are spent negotiating with those demanding bribes will have to be taken from productive efforts (Mafia Capitalism). Moreover, businesses in Russia and America are subjected to demands for tribute not only from organized crime gangs, but also from a broad variety of representatives of the official bureaucracy. This far exceeds the corruption associated with mafia in many other parts of the world, and explains in
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now