...Controlling Organized Crime CJA/384 April 16, 2012 Controlling Organized Crime When many people think of the problems related to organized crime, the stories shown on television or in movies about Sicilian or Italian mafia comes to mind. In reality, the threat of this type of crime is much more widespread. The following explores the problems presented by organized crime, the legal limitations associated with combating organized crime, and suggestions to control organized crime by discussing and evaluating the effectiveness of organized crime prosecutions. Organized Crime Organized crime is nothing new; these groups have been around since the 1900s when Italian immigrants organized into what they called families. These groups maintained strict loyalty and tight lips, discussing their business with no one outside the family. Soon they were involved in the labor unions and bootlegging at the inception of the Prohibition (Repetto, 2007). Some consider these families traditional organized crime groups. New versions are considered nontraditional organized crime groups. Since the rise of the Mafia, other criminal organizations have surfaced using their power to corrupt businesses for personal gain and political strength. Everyday society is under attack by smaller criminal organizations working pipelines for drugs and weapons. These nontraditional groups are outlaw motorcycle gangs, Chinese triads, Columbian cartels, and urban street gangs (Lyman & Potter, 2007)...
Words: 1229 - Pages: 5
...The term organized crime has become well known during recent years. Primarily through movies, television shows, and news reports. When a person hears the term organized crime, they think of the mob from movies like godfather, goodfellas, and scarface. However; those movies are just a glorified representation of what organized crime actually is and the reality of organized crime and its impact of society is much more disturbing than anything Hollywood or story writers can develop. The purpose of this paper is to define and discuss what organized crime is, why it develops and why members of society are drawn to engage in it. This paper will also discuss the problems related to organized crime’s impact on society and the limitations the government faces when trying to eradicate this type of criminal activity. In addition, the laws and tools law enforcement uses to combat organized criminal activity will be explored and how those laws and tools can be expanded on to offer a viable solution in controlling organized crime. Organized Crime Described The simplest definition of organized crime can be 1. Widespread criminal activities, such as prostitution, interstate theft, or illegal gambling, that occur within a centrally controlled formal structure. 2. The people and the groups involved in such criminal activities. (thefreedictionary.com). This definition is what makes the difference between criminal activity conducted by an individual and criminal activity conducted by a group...
Words: 2854 - Pages: 12
...Controlling Organized Crime Darci Pelkey CJA\393 September 19, 2011 Jennifer Williamson Controlling Organized Crime A group of people who work together to help each out in criminal activities is considered organized crime. This organization has thrived during the prohibition and became a part of the Western society. The urbanization of major cities have provided the environment in, which organized crime could thrive (Finkle, 2010). The considerable population within the major cities have provide a critical mass of criminal, customers, and victims and thus the facilitation of the development of profitable markets in prohibited goods and services. Even through the laws like the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization in placed to help to prevent the organization activities, the technological advances have modernized the organized crimes methods and have created an international problems. The long-established organized organization can be consisted of one ethnicity and has been focused on an isolated function of their area. The modern organized organizations approaches have cross control and function internationally. Within the United States, the first efforts to controlled organized crime began to come into view in the 1960’s (Finkle, 2010). There were commissions formed that studied organized crime and to help to form methods that could control the organized crime appropriately. These studies reflected the growing concern...
Words: 1353 - Pages: 6
...Controlling Organized Crime Chris Abney CJA/384 Nov 8, 2014 Professor Gregory Reynolds Controlling Organized Crime Organized crime generated an estimated $870 billion dollars of the global economy and this is equivalent to approximately 7% of the world’s exports in merchandise according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This is quite a substantial amount of money that has been drained form our economy that’s already suffering from the recent recession. The problems caused by organized crime and the relationships established will be covered along with the legal limitations associated with combating these efforts. Major federal laws such as the RICO Act will be addressed along with the strategies that support those efforts will be explained along with a solution to controlling organized crime by addressing many key factors. Organized crime is a nuisance to society and efforts to reduce this type of crime must not be taken lightly in order to maintain control here in the United States of America. Many issues are caused by organized crime such as higher crime rate, danger within the community, corruption of political officials, and can weaken the economy. These issues caused by organized crime and the association between organized crime and terrorism is becoming quite similar. After the attack on September 11th the efforts of cutting funds to the terrorist groups increased and many country’s that were financing these groups quit due to the destruction...
Words: 1238 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime CJA384 Controlling Organized Crime Since the 1990’s, organized crime has become a problem among U.S. citizens. The Mafia was the earliest group to show its strengths of power and manipulation among citizens and business of New York City. From the time of the Mafia’s rise, other criminal organizations have surfaced using their power to corrupt personal within business for the gain of finance and political strength. In today society, one of the main question when it comes to these groups is how can criminal organizations be controlled? This paper will identify the problems presented and the various relationships established by organized crime. It will describe the legal limitations associated with combating organized crime, including a critique of major federal laws and strategies that support this effort. This paper will end with a suggestion of a realistic solution to control organized crime by discussing and evaluating the effectiveness of organized crime prosecutions. Problems Presented and Relationships Established It needs to be remember that organized crime is defined as any crime that threatens peace and human security, violates human rights and undermines economic, social, cultural, political and civil development of societies around the world (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, n.d.). The above definition was provided by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime and that is just one of the many law enforcement groups that have...
Words: 1374 - Pages: 6
...Controlling Organized Crime Paper CJA/384 May 3, 2015 Controlling Organized Crime Organized crime occurs in the United States of America and abroad. “It is hard to think that our country, which is so full of opportunities, has people that would seek to use those opportunities improperly to create illegal ends” (Williams, 2014). Crime is part of our social order. It would be naïve to think that citizens could be completely free of wrongdoing. “The consequences of these criminals and their actions can be detrimental to the overall well being of the general populace by introducing negative elements into the greater whole of society” (Williams, 2014). Crime is based on the opinion and the actions of individuals. Some see their actions as good and some as bad. When an individual commits negative acts that are crimes but doesn’t see their acts as criminal we have a problem. Crime is based on the actions of the individuals. While the mafia is the most known organized crime group there are also urban street gangs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, the Russian Mafia, the Japanese Yakuza, the Chinese Mafia, the Columbian cartels and many others (Williams, 2014). Organized crime group’s objective is to fill a demand for an item or service that cannot be done legally. Some of these objectives are the sale of drugs or alcohol, sexual exploitation, insider trading, racketeering, credit card fraud, etc (Williams, 2014). Problems “Although most issues related to social control or moral regulation...
Words: 1073 - Pages: 5
...Abstract This paper will discuss organized crime groups in relation to their interrelationships and their illegal dealing. It will enclose how different organized crime groups make allies and relationships with one another to help bring money and power to their organizations. The next step is to discuss the legal limitations that limit the ability of law enforcement to be able to bring criminal organizations to justice for their crimes. It will show what laws help limit the combat against organized crime and why they put legal limitations of law enforcement. This will lead to the final discussion on what would be a good solution to organized crime and how to bring them to justice legally. Controlling Organized Crime Organized crime groups in the United States date back to the 1900’s. In the 1900’s there were various groups that took form throughout the states. These groups started when immigrants came to the shore lines of the United States. Over the years threw segregation, prohibition and other factors that gave certain groups vast amounts of power, money and respect throughout their community. These groups took control over the crime in many areas they resided in and around. The organized crime groups that have had a big impact on the United States is the Irish Mafia, Italian Mafia, Klu Klux Klan, Hell’s Angels, drug cartels, Black Panthers, Yakuza, Triads, the Baker Gang, and the Mason Family. Each of this organization began to gain momentum during...
Words: 1162 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime When people think of organized crime, the first thing that comes to mind is Italian Mafia families like ones seen on television. Actually, organized crime groups consist of various nationalities and they operate in many parts of the world. This assignment will explain what organize crime is and suggest what should be done to control it. Organized Crime Defined There are several definitions of organized crime but there is not a definite one. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) definition of organized crime is as follows: Organized crime is “any group having some manner of a formalized structure and whose primary objective is to obtain money through illegal activities. Such groups maintain their position through the use of actual or threatened violence, corrupt public officials, graft or extortion, and generally have a significant impact on the people in their locales, region or the county as a whole” (Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), n.d.). Theories The following theories assist law enforcement and government official by showing how and why organized crime evolved. These theories give a better explanation as to why members of organized crime groups commit illegal acts. In a paper previously written by myself, the following was discussed: There are empirical and speculative theories that are applicable to organized crime and criminal behavior. The rational choice theory “first emerged in the mid-18th century and was once...
Words: 1103 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime Paper When carefully considering how to define the term “organized crime” an individual concludes it is a group of individuals from the same or different ethnic backgrounds and transnational groups operate as a working network that may include politicians and legitimate businesses. Criminal organization characteristics are a topic throughout this document. These four theories, Social control, alien conspiracy, strain and anomie, and differential association are also topics in the document to provide a clear understanding of the development of criminal organizations. Complications as a result of criminal organizations, combatting organized crime with limited limitations, and federal laws supporting the efforts of anti-crime. A recommendation of gaining control over organized crime is also a topic in this document. Several theories can assist law enforcement, society, researchers, and professionals by providing an insight into the early development stages of criminal organization. Each theory has facts, research, and statistics to support the theories. The data collection provides an in-depth understanding why an organized crime group’s flourish and the reason these individual engage in criminal behavior. Additionally, theories assist law enforcement with determining a demographic area and individuals at risk of engaging in organized crime. Social Control Theory The social control theory suggests that links to a person’s family and neighborhood...
Words: 1238 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime Controlling organized crime will always be a major task for government and law enforcement agencies within the United States. This is the case because policy makers and the law enforcement communities cling to a faulty model of organized crime in the United States: an alien conspiracy theory. It depicts organized crime as an underworld corporate enterprise comprised of ethnically or culturally distinct alien groups that corrupt fundamentally sound political and economic institutions (Mastrofski, 2010). Problems presented and the various relationships Organized crime presents a number of problems. Many organized crime families do operate within the family structure and this to an extent creates a less than desirable environment to raise children, organized criminals tend to gear their children into a negative lifestyle. Today's organized crime families are different than those that came about in the past. In the past, criminologists would examine La Cosa Nostra or the Italian Mafia, but criminal activity goes well beyond such crime families. Asian and Russian organizations enter the picture in the United States today. Asian gangs have become quite apparent in modern America. They seem to traffic in illegal goods and practices such as heroin, prostitution, and gambling (Bolz, 1995). They also engage in money laundering schemes (Bolz, 1995). This latter focus is at the heart of many crime organizations because they have to cover their tracks...
Words: 1085 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime Justine M. Washington CJA 384-Criminal Organizations May 7, 2012 William Barnes Controlling Organized Crime Organized crime continues to plague many countries throughout the world. Organized crime groups thrive on money, power, and respect. The media has perpetuated a stereotypical view of organized crime in the form of made-for-television movies, theatrical releases, and weekly series. Organized crime syndicates are not all Italians who animatedly speak with their hands. Organized crime groups hide behind the façade of legitimate businesses to launder money, engage in racketeering, extortion, and other criminal acts. Organized crime is prevalent on a local, state, and federal level. Law enforcement agencies continue to seek solutions to combat organized crime by employing different methods and approaches to deter and punish those who profit from their criminal exploits. Theories of Organized Crime Several theories provide insight into organized crime. According to Lyman and Potter (2007), “Cressey describes organized crime as a bureaucratic structure not unlike that adopted by governmental bureaucracies, such as police departments and federal law enforcement agencies. The primary unit of La Cosa Nostra is the family, which embodies male members of Italian ancestry. The family must abide by a code of conduct that prohibits members from revealing organization organizational secrets and that authorizes...
Words: 1634 - Pages: 7
...Controlling Organized Crime Rob Papagno CJA/384 03 September 2013 Daniel Barry Controlling Organized Crime Some people would say that organized crime has ruined the United States and allowed petty hoods to gain worldwide recognition. Others would disagree and say organized crime is no different than any major corporation in today’s global economy. Some people would say organized crime is the best thing to happen to neighborhoods which law enforcement will not come into. No matter what side of the fence a person falls on, some part of what they believe will be correct, and part will not. During the course of this paper, the author will look at organized crime, identify the problems presented and the various relationships established by organized crime, and describe the legal limitations associated with combating organized crime, including a critique of major federal laws and strategies that support this effort. Finally, the author will suggest a realistic solution to control organized crime by discussing and evaluating the effectiveness of organized crime prosecutions. Problems with Organized Crime The problem with organized crime is that it often infringes on people’s basic rights and destroys economic structure, and political and civil development, on a global scale. Transnational organized crime rears its ugly head in many different forms, ranging from the trafficking of drugs and people to illegal arms. This is often accomplished by using unsuspecting individuals...
Words: 2487 - Pages: 10
...Controlling Organized Crime To control organized crime, its history must first be explored as it is a part of the United States for a long time, as well as throughout the world. There have been many ideas purposed on how to control and eliminate organized crime; however, none have been successful. One of the first well known organized crime groups is the Mafia. They are very powerful and their control can be found in law enforcement, politics, and justice departments, local and national businesses. They are interested in monetary gain only and have links worldwide. They make their money by the sale of illegal drugs, illegal prostitution rings, and from financial scams. Criminal activity is usually related to the Mafia and other similar organizations. Some Terrorist organizations are considered to be organized crime groups, as they also gain monetarily from crime activity as well as fame. Organized crime groups are an elaborate and highly organized and are responsible for much of the human trafficking happening today. They are partly responsible for the illegal entry of people from Mexico. The border has become the site for many violent criminal enterprises with organized crime syndicates smuggling drugs, humans, weapons and cash laundering (The Dark Side Of Illegal Immigration-Impacts Of Illegal Immigration: Crime). They are also responsible for the violence and sale of illegal drugs that we find in our cities and suburbs. There are many reasons why people are drawn...
Words: 1204 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime CJA/ Criminal Procedure As we all know crime is part of society and every day life of a person. It would be very difficult to believe that a society or country could completely get rid of crime by itself. We know that crime is based of the actions and activities of many different people or groups of people depending on what they are trying to accomplish. Some people see their actions as good and beneficial and some see them as bad and have a negative effect after completed. There are many people in society who commit crimes who do not see their actions as being negative actions. Some of them believe that what they are going is justifiable due to their morals and how they were raised. We all know that these activities are not deemed as acceptable activities in any type of society. Yes, we all know that when a criminal is tried for their crimes that they are being brought up on charges that we as the people and the criminal justice system have deemed as illegal and not acceptable to do. Crimes normally start or generate when a corruption or rule breaker is identified within our law enforcement or political parties or even our justice people. This is one example of where the problems and crimes are generated and it all escalates from there. Over time we have all learned about organized crime and the constant challenge and obstacles that they create as well as constantly challenging our federal and...
Words: 1031 - Pages: 5
...Controlling Organized Crime Paper Tracy L. Chambers CJA/384 February 05, 2012 Instructor Leroy Hendrix, MS Abstract Many concerns encircle organized crime. The concern of differing viewpoints on defining organized crime; the concerns with the ‘who’ and ‘why’ involved in organized crime; the criminal activity performed by such enterprises and how the phenomenon of organized crime can be controlled. Despite the fact there is much collusion from society in the support of the illicit goods and services provided by organized crime, society still looks upon law enforcement to control these enterprises. Organized crime may never be stopped in its entirety, but it must be controlled because of the lasting effect it has on American society. Controlling Organized Crime Paper Problems Presented and Relationships Established One problem presented is the absence of agreement on the term ‘organized crime’, which contributes much confusion and difficulty in identifying such crime groups. Some law enforcement agencies have defined organized crime as possessing four major components, which include a group of more than three individuals; the criminal activity is continual and indefinite; a desire for profit and power is the motivator, and the group commits serious criminal offenses (Lyman & Potter, 2007). However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has defined organized crime “as a continuing criminal conspiracy with an organized structure that is successful because of its use...
Words: 1128 - Pages: 5
