Organized Crime - Structural Deficiencies in the Criminal Investigative Police? Criminological Strategies for Combatting Supraregional and International Gang Crime and Criminal Organizations - Part I

• NCJ Number: 78802
• Journal: Kriminalist Volume: 10 Issue: 7-8 Dated: (1978) Pages: 313-314,316,318
• Author(s): H P Jansen
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

The first part of a two-part series describes international criminal organizations and structural changes in international crime.

Abstract

Organized crime extending beyond the borders of the German Federal Republic involves a continuum from small gangs of juveniles to criminal organizations of adults. The levels differ in the quality of crime planning, the distribution of roles, goals of the group, and permanence of the arrangement. No specific statistics exist on the extent of international crimes, so the proportion is difficult to estimate but appears to be under 10 percent. New trends in crime since 1973 include formation of criminal groups, broadening of the field of operation, involvement of organized groups in particularly serious crimes, and increased specialization and organization within criminal groups. While criminal organizations do exist in Europe, they are less strictly organized, have less influence on politics and economics, and have more limited goals than similar organizations in the United States. Furthermore, they lack the gambling base of American mobs. The central focus of the European crime industry is property crimes. The criminal organizations usually consist of less than a hundred criminals with a leader. Only about 500 hard-core organized criminals and only about 1000 'high-rollers' are presented in West Germany, about 100 of whom are involved in white-collar crime. The organizations are firmly entrenched and flexible in their activities. Major areas of activity in Germany are thefts of art works, retail store thefts, sales of stolen automobiles, counterfeiting, drug dealing connected with night life, white collar crimes, illegal weapons smuggling, and crimes such as prostitution. Their growing use of violence, attempts to secure a system of legal and social protection, and development of a punishment system for violation of group rules suggests that the criminal organizations are becoming permanent fixtures. Notes are supplied.