NCJ Number
82020
Journal
Kriminalist Volume: 13 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1981) Pages: 197-200,202,204,206-207
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The undeniable presence of organized crime in West Germany calls for an organized, proactive law enforcement and criminal justice response.
Abstract
The multiple levels of criminal organizations are set up in such a way that only their least significant functionaries come in contact with the law while the true power figures remain undetected. Law enforcement must learn to pursue strategies for dealing with the former that will lead to the latter. Organized crime activity is found in businesses dealing with both goods (theft, forgery of artworks, international trade, stolen automobiles, weapons smuggling, drug trafficking, etc.) and services (prostitution, gambling). Legislation enabling dropped charges for informants who provide leads to crime ring power figures or to planned criminal acts provides an important tool in combatting organized crime. Law enforcement investigators should be aware of the characteristics indicative of organized crime involvement in each of the vulnerable business sectors. Investigative techniques should be geared to uncovering the entire network behind suspicious activity. A nationwide police information system with sophisticated data gathering, interchange, and analysis capabilities is necessary. The fragmented organizational structure of West German police forces remains an impediment to a coordinated law enforcement effort against organized crime. About 15 references are given.