AQUATIC CRIME - A NEW HORIZON IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH

• NCJ Number: 55053
• Journal: International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 39-46
• Author(s): R G IACOVETTA
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Wichita State University
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL AND INTRANATIONAL CRIME IN THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING THE WAREHOUSING OF CONTRABAND, THE CONCEALMENT OF EVIDENCE, VIOLATION OF TERRITORIAL JURISDICITIONS, AND PROSTITUTION, ARE NOTED.

Abstract

AQUATIC CRIME REFERS TO INCIDENTS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT OCCUR ON OR WITH THE AID OF WATERWAYS SUCH AS RIVERS, LAKES, AND OCEANS. ACCURATE STATISTICS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON THE EXTENT OF CRIME THAT IS COMMITTED ON LARGE BODIES OF WATER, BUT CONGRESSIONAL AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, PERSONAL REPORTS, AND MEDIA ACCOUNTS INDICATE WATER IS USED FOR WIDE RANGE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. THIS EVIDENCE STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH IS NEEDED; TRADITIONAL STUDIES IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAVE CENTERED ENTIRELY ON LAND-BASED SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND THEIR REGULATORY AND LEGAL SYTEMS. TYPES OF AQUATIC CRIME ARE PILFERAGE AND CARGO THEFT, THE TRANSPORT OF NARCOTICS FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER, THE TRANSPORT OF VARIOUS OTHER ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES AND CONTRABAND (DIAMONDS, GOLD, JEWELRY, PROPAGANDA MATERIAL, LITERARY MATERIAL INCLUDING PORNOGRAPHY, AND CONSUMER GOODS OF ALL KINDS), AND THE TRANSPORT OF ILLEGAL ALIENS. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS USUALLY WEAK OR LACKING AT POLITICAL BOUNDARIES, THEREBY ALLOWING CERTAIN TYPES OF CRIME TO FLOURISH. GIVEN RAPIDLY INCREASING TECHNOLOGY FOR RAPID WATER-BASED MOBILITY AND THE COMMENSURATE PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT OF SEA CITIES, IT CAN BE ASSUMED THAT AQUATIC CRIME WILL BECOME MORE ADVANCED AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM OF CRIME DETECTION AND APPREHENSION ON AN INTERNATIONAL AND INTRANATIONAL BASIS. STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND AND WATER IS ESSENTIAL AND MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF CRIMINALITY ON THE PART OF GEOGRAPHERS, OCEANOGRAPHERS, MARINE BIOLOGISTS, ECONOMISTS, BIOLOGISTS, POLITICAL SCIENTISTS, LAWYERS, AND GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)