NCJ Number
224504
Journal
IALEIA Journal Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 69-82
Date Published
April 2008
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article proposes a “premonitory” model for investigating possible connections between organized crime and street-level semiprecious-metals theft, which has become a highly lucrative, transnational crime of opportunity due to the increased demand for commodity metals such as copper and aluminum over the past decade.
Abstract
This paper is “premonitory” (Peterson, 1991/1992) in scope, in the sense that it uses a strategic approach intended to generate investigative targets that potentially tie organized crime to metals theft. Background discussion examines organized crime’s perennial interest in the metals industry and related criminal activities. The discussion particularly notes the involvement in metals theft by Russian organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, South American organized crime, and La Cosa Nostra. The paper also presents scenarios, signatures, and a theoretical link for possible criminal conspiracies that involve semiprecious-metals theft. The paper concludes with an extended discussion of implications and recommendations for studying organized crime and metals-theft conspiracies. The proposed framework suggests that investigations into apparently routine crimes of opportunity by seemingly disparate actors such as subcontractors and methamphetamine addicts should probe beyond the more obvious motives for such crimes to find possible connections with organized crime groups through the use of middlemen and metals-industry business infiltration. In exploring possible connections between organized crime leaders and street-level thieves in a metals-theft conspiracy, investigators in property crimes units should share collected and finished intelligence with departmental colleagues who investigate organized-crime groups that typically use street-level criminals in some features of their criminal enterprises. Such intelligence sharing should also extend across agencies and jurisdictions. 1 figure and 9 references