NCJ Number
219391
Date Published
August 2001
Length
107 pages
Annotation
This review sought to develop overview information on the United States framework for addressing international crime.
Abstract
International crime is a complex and multifaceted issue of great national importance. Accordingly, the United States’ response to international crime involves a wide variety of Federal entities spending a significant amount of time and money. Even though individual Federal agencies have developed strategies to address a variety of international crime issues and integrated mechanisms exist to coordinate efforts across agencies, it is believed that without an up-to-date and integrated strategy and sustained top-level leadership to implement and monitor it, the risk is high that scarce resources will be wasted, overall effectiveness will be limited or not known, and accountability will not be ensured. The establishment of the Policy Coordination Committee (PCC) for International Organized Crime in April 2001 is a step in the right direction and it appears to address some of the coordination and related issues discussed, such as providing oversight of international crime issues. With the establishment of the PCC, it is recommended that the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs take appropriate action to ensure that this PCC provides sustained and centralized oversight of the extensive and crosscutting Federal effort to combat international crime. In August 2000, the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) was requested to review the nature and extent of the Federal response to international crime including drugs and arms trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, public corruption, and other criminal activities that transcend national borders.