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Understanding and Defining Organized Crime

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Course

Issues in Organized Crime (SSCI3026U)

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University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Academic year: 2023/2024

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Understanding

and Defining

Organized Crime

What is

Organized

Crime?

What do you

think of when you

hear the term

“organized

crime”?

What is

organized crime?

Criminology Texts

(Hagan, 2006: 131)

Criminal Justice Texts

(Hagan, 2006: 132)

U. Law

Enforcement/Governme

nt: FBI (2017)

Organized crime -> transnational organized crime (TOC): “.. who are self-perpetuating associations of individuals who operate, wholly or in part, by illegal means and irrespective or geography. They constantly seek to obtain power, influence and monetary gains. (FBI 2017b in Lyman, 2019)

U. Law

Enforcement/Governme

nt: IRS (2013)

“Organized Crime refers to those self-perpetuating, structured, and disciplined associations of individuals, or groups, combined together for the purpose of obtaining monetary or commercial gains or profits, wholly or in part by illegal means, while protecting their activities through a pattern of graft and corruption.” (Lyman, 7)

U. Law

Enforcement/Governme

nt: Omnibus Safe

How do scholarly

definitions

compare?

Scholarly Definitions:

Alan Block

“Organized crime is both a social system and a social world. The system is composed of relationships binding professional criminals, politicians, law enforcers and various entrepreneurs.” (Block, 1983: vii, in Lyman, 2019)

Scholarly Definitions:

Joe Albani

“Any criminal activity involving two or more, specialized or non-specialized, encompassing some form of social structure, with some form of leadership, utilizing certain modes of operation, in which the ultimate purpose of the organization is found in the enterprises of a particular group.” (Albani 1971: 37-38)

Scholarly Definitions:

Donald Liddick

Research

Shown?

Empirical Research

Organized crime consists of thousand of loosely organized, informal groups Organized crime engages in enterprises that are neither continuous or self-perpetuating Organized crime is a profit driven enterprise, but the distinction between licit and illicit markets is often difficult to determine

Empirical Research

Not substantiated: Hierarchy Continuity Bureaucratic structure Specialization Stable organizational membership Large size

Why do you

think there is a

disconnect?

It does not include a group of persons that forms randomly for the immediate commission of a single offence.” (Criminal Code of Canada)

Is there a

working definition

of organized

crime?

UNODC

United Nations Office on

Drugs and Crime

Academics and Law

enforcement – could not

agree on definition

“Organized Criminal Group”

Definition of “Organized

Crime Group”: UNODC

“Structured group of three or

more persons existing for a

period of time and acting in

concert with the aim of

committing one or more

serious crimes or offenses

in order to obtain, directly or

indirectly, a financial or

other material benefit.”

(UNODC, 2002)

2. Uneven economic growth

From Local Markets to

a Single Global Market

Facilitators?

Computer and Communication technology Air transportation services Electronic banking

All of these allow for movement of illicit goods and services throughout the globe

Uneven Economic

Growth

Cheaper production of raw materials - some areas more than others Organized crime (and legitimate enterprises as well) - cheaper production with wider reach

Industrial nations- economic growth unstable Inner cities/regions with older industrial production – high unemployment, economic isolation and growing poverty Other parts – increasing wealth, expanding incomes

Drive for Profits
Organizational Fit (i. skills, connections)

What determines the

size (# of people) and

scope (geographic

reach) of a criminal

organization?

Size and Scope: Three

Factors

1. Efficiency of Management

and Communication

2. Corruption Costs

3. Logistics

What are the

different forms of

criminal

organizations?

UN: Ideal Types of

Criminal Organizations

Standard Hierarchy

Regional Hierarchy

Clustered Hierarchy

Core Group

Criminal Network

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