Organized Crime

Organized Crime

CJA/325

06/09/2016

ABSTRACT

This paper will describe what organized crime is along with my own personal perception of organized crime. It will identify any assumptions on which my perception is based and will answer the following questions: How I would describe or define organized crime. How does my perception compare to the definitions in the readings, pertaining to organized crime? Lastly, what characteristics do I think are associated with organized criminal behavior.

Organized Crime

        What exactly is organized crime? In fact, how do we measure what organized crime is? The definition of organized crime is simple, the dictionary reads that it is illegal behavior that is planned and carried out by groups of people in a systematic fashion. For example, money laundering by the mafia, would be considered organized crime. In the 1920’s organized crime was first introduced and recognized. The group in question that was considered to be the birth of organized crime included the Mafia. A well organized crime group that actually still operates effectively today. Unfortunately, the Mafia isn’t the subject of this paper, instead organized crime is the topic of this paper.

My Perception

        My description or perception of organized crime includes; a large group or organization that is involved in illegal activities in order to gain from theses illegal activities. Meaning, the group or organization uses some form of illegal activity to fund their organization or group. Growing up, these groups or organizations included gangs and other groups like the mob or mafia. As I got older, I realized that these types of groups were worse than what the movies portrayed them to be. Being that television and movies made the mafia seem as if it was the cool thing to do when however, it was the wrong thing to do. Regardless, my perception of organized crime, is similar to the actual definition of organized crime. In all reality, it is almost self-explanatory.

Comparison

        My perception in comparison to the text book description of organized crime is very similar. I once thought that organized crime was carried out by individuals. Turns out organized crime is usually done within a group or organization. At first I was thrown by the discovery, but quickly realized that organized crime takes more than one person to be successful. Meaning, there must be multiple person’s involved in order to coordinate and execute certain plans in order to gain certain things. Whether those things include power and control itself or maybe its money, different situations call for different needs of a group that is involved in organized crime.