Browse our Free Essay examples and check out our Writing tools to get your assignments done.
Question 1 (25 points)
Discuss the value of organized crime investigations by
law enforcement, specifically focusing on politicians potential involvement in
organized crime.
This question is linked to the following Course Learning Objective:
LO7. Critique the assertion that U.S. politicians are frequently in league with
organized crime
Question 2 (25 points)
Discuss the impact that the War on Drugs has had in
regards to Drug Cartels. As part of this answer, include specific U.S. statutes
and or legislation/Acts that have played a part in combating this form of
organized Crime
This question is linked to the following Course Learning Objectives:
LO5. Analyze major statutes and legislation aimed at combating organized Crime
LO6. Extrapolate past and current efforts of the U.S. (via the War on Drugs)
with current and future illegal drug trends (e.g., usage, availability, etc)
Question 3 (25 points)
Explain whether or not transnational organized crime
groups (such as the Russian Mafia, and others) pose a greater threat to the
United States than do traditional organized crime groups
Please be very specific and remember to fully support your viewpoint.
This is an essay question and in turn it needs to be hand graded by the instructor.
Subsequently this will initially show as zero until graded.
This question is linked to the following Course Learning Objective:
LO2. Compare and contrast transnational organized crime groups such as the
Yakuza and Russian Mafia
Question 4 (25 points)
Select a specific Organized Crime Group, and then using a
criminological theory of your choice, discuss how and why they have been able
to exist and or thrive.
This question has connections to the following four Course Learning Objectives:
LO1. Discuss the historical use of money laundering and racketeering by
organized crime
LO3. Describe why organized crime has flourished, via the use of criminological
theory
Question
ONE
Law
enforcement agencies play a critical role in the investigation and combating of
organized crime in any country. Criminal intelligence (CI), on the other hand,
is a central element in the fight against transnational organized crime. CI
forms the basis of all proactive investigations cross-cutting through several
aspects of transnational organized crime including drug trafficking,
corruption, terrorism, and other forms of underworld covet crimes (National Security
Council, n.d.). The state has the mandate to understand the criminal threats
propagated by organized by perpetrators of organized crime before responding to
them. However, the criminal intelligence’s effort to investigate and combat
organized crimes face challenges when politicians and influential persons
interfere with the process.
One
critical aspect that the Organized Crime Convention seeks to address is
criminalizing corruption in the public realm, especially on matters concerning
organized crime investigations. Influential persons and politicians have in
several instances been linked or implicated on the corruption and interfering
with criminal investigation processes of organized crimes (Fromiti, n.d.).
Organized criminals belonging to the powerful and elite social class including
politicians use their positions to passively bribe foreign public officials to
conceal the illegal underworld activities. Some politicians have amassed wealth
from the proceeds of corruption and organized crime and the CI’s efforts to
unearth the secrets of these individuals is often met by frustrations and
threats on individual lives and families (National
Security Council, n.d.). Worse still, some CI officers’ soil their hands by
accepting bribes to tailor investigations to the organized criminals’ desires (Sheptycki,
2017).
For
instance, cases of illicit enrichments are linked to transnational organized
crimes where corrupt officials receive money from their partners in crime in
return for protection prosecution. Developing nations with a vulnerable rule of
law are more susceptible to the penetration of transnational organized crime
into the political system. There has been an increase connection in some states
between government elements including CI agencies and TOC groups threatening
nations’ economic and democratic institutions (Fromiti, n.d.). TOC enters the
political systems in several ways the most common method being through
corruption and bribery. These groups have participated in the creation of
shadow economies disrupting states’ security and financial sectors and
strategically placing themselves as alternative providers of livelihoods,
security, and governance.
The
United States recognize the impact of expanding TOC in undermining free markets
and advocating for formation of alliances with law enforcement and security
agencies, foreign agencies, financial institutions and political leaders. Many
states across the United States have established that such criminal activities
lead to illicit enrichment of specific individuals at the expense of the entire
society (Sheptycki, 2017). The federal government has committed itself to setting
criminal intelligence departments responsible for investigating these crimes.
The main aim of this strategy is enhancing their ability to address issues of
corrupt public officials and politicians benefitting from or funding organized
crimes.
References
Fromiti. (n.d.). Organized crime module 6 key issues: Structural factors....
