Controlling Organized Crime

Over the course of these five weeks certain definitions have been defined, principles have been explained, and theories have been researched.  The focal point of all these discussions was organized crime. Throughout this paper it will not only highlight the definitions that were defined pertaining to organized crime, but it will also identify the problems presented and the various relationships established by organized crime, describe the legal limitations associated with combating organized crime, and suggest a realistic solution to control organized crime.

Organized crime can be defined simply as a group of individuals from either the same or different ethnic backgrounds that operate as a network. Some may even refer to what they have seen in movies and/or television in order to grasp a quick definition. Organized crime can be broken up into different sub categories, that ultimately result as the problems and relationships that are tied with organized crime. Terrorism, gangs, racketeering, and victim-less crimes are all tied in with organized crime operations. The Federal Code of Regulations defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of social or political objectives” (28 CFR, Section 0.85). Some may think what does organized crime have to do with terrorism? However, according to Michael D. Lyman and Gary W. Potter in Organized Crime political agendas and profit motivation can be concurrent causes of many acts of terrorism in reference to organized crime. The other sub category is gangs. There are a variety of different gangs throughout the United States that can range from youth gangs to motorcycle gangs, and even prison gangs. There isn’t however an agreed upon definition of what a gang really is. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) define gangs as “an association of three or more individuals whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity, which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation whose purpose in part is to engage in criminal activity and which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives” (United States Department of Justice, 2015). Third we have racketeering. Racketeering can be defined as “any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance” (18 U.S. Code § 1961). It provides opportunities for partnering with labor employers in effort to gain control of unions and/or their pension funds. Finally we have organized crime that results in victim-less crimes. Usually these crimes are drug related, in reference to prostitution, or involve gambling. All of these crimes are also known as vice crimes and can create problems that result in a high demand of products or services.