Controlling Organized Crime

Controlling Organized Crime
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Introduction
A journalist in Ukraine named Heorhiy Gongadze back in the year 2000 went missing. His death was after some articles that were written by him were published and implicated some government officials at the time to the prevalent organized crime in the country. Four months after his disappearance, a headless body was found in the country’s capital city and after investigations was determined to be his. An investigation that had the involvement of the country’s president alleged links of the murder to organized crime figures that were unhappy with the press accusations of crime and corruption (Albanese, 2001). It is through such incidents of murder, drug trafficking, or human smuggling that one learns of organized crime. Arrests of illegal immigrants are made, drug couriers captured, and bodies found. These crimes are often discovered at the level of the street. This is often long after the planning, conspiracy, and organization of the crime (Albanese, 2001). This paper, therefore, looks at the problems presented and relationships that have been established by organized crime. In addition, it addresses the legal limitations involved in fighting organized crime and provides a critique of the major federal laws and proposes a solution to control organized crime.
Definition
Establishing a clear definition of organized crime is essential is essential for not only legal, but also purposes relating to policy. Although defining organized crime is difficult, the attributes that are associated with crime syndicates lie at the center of the definition. These attributes include structure, restricted membership, continuity, violence, enterprises that are illegal, conducting legal businesses, corruption, and a lack of ideals (Finklea, 2010). Therefore, organized crime can be defined as continuous enterprise of criminal activity that works in a rational manner to acquire benefits (profits or otherwise) from such activities and its persistence and survival maintained by the use of force, scare tactics, and or corrupt officials often in government (Albanese, 2001).
Problems Presented
Factors that are linked to social control or moral regulation often contain a political aspect. Discussions that are related to organized crime are often steeped into politics and range from the creation of illegal markets to declarations of the magnitude of the threat and legislating laws attacking the problem of organized crime (Hess & Orthmann, 2009). Organized crime is problematic due to the various relationships that are established through it. These problems emaciate the notion that organized crime has links and influence in with and from politics. Political, organized crime often has severe negative consequences for both citizens and policy makers within government. If organized crimes perpetrators are involved with elected policy and lawmakers responsible for making laws and policies that govern the society, they cease to represent the people and become corrupt. Corrupt law and policy makers corrupt the legal system and its philosophies (Hess & Orthmann, 2009).
Corruption in politics and law enforcement created by organized crime are examples of the negative consequences that such relationships can create for the society. For example, among the greatest threats from organized crime relationships is corruption in the legal and justice system. Although the police are focused and interested in public corruption, their greater concern is about corruption in the police department. Some officials in the police repay these organized crime syndicates through the provision of inside information used, for example, for manipulating security (Hess & Orthmann,...