The Eighteenth Amendment & Rise of Organized Crime

On January 16th 1920, America created the Eighteenth Amendment [i.e. Prohibition] which allowed the government to outlaw the manufacturing, selling, importing, exporting, sale, possession and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. The citizens of that time thought the only way to prevent drunkenness was to outlaw alcohol. The idea was if less people were drunk then America would be better. Yet, an alarming trend began to arise as crime rates began to increase with staggering speed.

These are statistics from Organized Crime and Prohibition detailing the increase in crime:

• Police funding: INCREASED $11.4 Million
• Arrests for Prohibition Law Violations: INCREASED 102+%
• Arrests for Drunkenness and Disorderly Conduct: INCREASED 41%
• Arrests of Drunken Drivers: INCREASED 81%
• Thefts and Burglaries: INCREASED 9%
• Homicides, Assault, and Battery: INCREASED 13%
• Number of Federal Convicts: INCREASED 561%
• Federal Prison Population: INCREASED 366%
• Total Federal Expenditures on Penal Institutions: INCREASED 1,000%

As crime continued to increase it began to evolve and crime soon became organized. Criminal groups began to organize around the steady source of income provided by laws against victimless crimes like drinking, doing drugs, gambling, and prostitution. Many criminal elements first began to surface during Prohibition. It was bootlegging alcohol during prohibition that gave birth to Organized Crime in America. The steady source of income from bootlegging allowed the American "gangsta" to finance their operations and quickly gain power and influence. Without prohibition, the organization of crime might never have taken place.

Cultural Influence of the movie "GoodFellas"

In the popular 1990 film, "GoodFellas," members of organized crime were portrayed in a positive way that influence the culture it feed. Henry Hill, played by actor Ray Liotta, becomes involved in the mafia at a young age and becomes influenced by the Mafia's lifestyle, brotherhood, and camaraderie. At the beginning of the movie, Henry Hill says "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangsta." The impact of the movie from a cultural standpoint was incredible. The dream of power, wealth, and fame lead many young people to imitate the characters and the lifestyles they lived.
The movie is filled with strong violence, sexism, male dominance, and strong language. Yet, its popularity was incredible after its release. It is currently ranked #94 on the American Film Institute list of 100. Its impact is apparent in the attitudes and mindsets of the up and coming youth. Many young Americans display defiance to authority and handle their personal problems in ways that are ominously similar to the movies characters. Now I'm not implying that one movie changed the make-up of all American youth, but consider this fact. Its impact was so dramatic that in the year 2000 the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative

In January 1992, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the "Safe Streets Violent Crime initiative," which allowed each field office to address violent street gangs and drug related violence. Its mission was too access, locate, identify, and infiltrate severe problem areas throughout the United States. Most citizens and law enforcement agencies underestimated the impact and violence these small, organized groups could inflict. At the time some local law enforcement agencies were being pushed to the limit trying to combat the violence.
The "Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force" became the vehicle through which all federal, state and local law enforcement began retaliating against the violence that had begun to plague their communities. Which department had jurisdiction was not the question. All the communities wanted was results. Communication between federal, state and local departments began to increase allowing them to examine the problem areas, see where the gangs were expanding, and arresting high ranking members of these organizations. They also worked together and exchanged information on how to spot potential gang members.
These groups often had complex ranking systems that identified who the member was, and what his influence in the group. Tattoos were often used to display rank, membership, nicknames and past criminal activity. Law enforcement continues to gather information and new and upcoming groups to try and combat the increasing violence that is plaguing so many communities. Commuication between departments is essential in finding a solution to the problem.

Interpol

Interpol, which is the world's largest police organization with 186 members, helps connect international police organizations even when diplomatic relations are non-existent. It was created in 1923, to combat the effects of international organized crime. Interpol's constitution prohibits "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character." In other words the mission of Interpol is to find and prosecute criminal organizations and its affiliates, not to aid in a country's alterior motives.
Interpol continues to expand it reach and investigate new types of international criminal activity. It's responsiblities include finding drug and organzied criminial groups, investigating finaical and high tech crimes, Human trafficing, and many others. It also seeks out and locates fugitives who have fled their home country in hopes of escaping or avoiding incarceration.
Continuing cooperation from the international community is essential for Interpol to complete its objectives. Communication with other countries and Interpol is the key to success when innocent people lives could possibly be at rise. And Interpol acts as a medium between countries whose governments have diplomatic differences.

UNODC

"Transnational organized crime is considered as one of the major threats to human security, impeding the social, economic, political and cultural development of societies worldwide. It is a multi-faceted phenomenon and has manifested itself in different activities, among others, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings; trafficking in firearms; smuggling of migrants; money laundering; etc. In particular drug trafficking is one of the main activities of organized crime groups, generating enormous profits."
In the year 2000, the United Nations formed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime which was one step in countering the activity described above.
The UNODC works closely with national governments and civil organizations to help increase international cooperation to counter the devastating effects of organized crime groups world-wide.
With technology evolving at a head-spinning rate, many industries and companies have gone through globalization which expands the reach of their business to foreign countries.
Entering in force in 2003, The UNODC assists governments in the efforts to ensure there is a comprehensive response to combating transnational organized crime and drug trafficking by:

Assisting Member States in the ratification and implementation of the TOC Convention;

• Monitoring the implementation of the Convention;
• Developing and promoting best practice in countering organized crime across the globe;
• Improving the exchange of information; judicial cooperation and mutual legal assistance between law enforcement officials and;
• Determining the most effective method for collecting information on organized crime from a regional and global perspective and ensuring that such information is available to policy making and technical assistance projects.

Through there successful operations in many countries, the UNODC is now the main international instrument to counter act organized crime. As information continues to be exchanged between countries, the number of captured criminals will continue to rise.

The "RICO Act"

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as the RICO Act) is a United States law designed to give stiff penalties to those whose crimes where committed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO act was part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. It states that any "person or group who has committed any two of the acts specified 35 crimes within a ten year period has committed those crimes with similar purpose or results can be charged with racketeering." Once convicted of racketeering, the racketeer has to forfeit all earnings and interest in any business gaining through racketeering activity.
After the RICO law was put into affect, the FBI and other federal agencies started using the act to crackdown and prosecute organized criminals. One of the most successful applicacions of the act was the "ability to indict or sanction individuals for their behavior and actions committed against witnesses and victims in alleged retaliation or retribution for cooperating with law enforcement or intelligence agencies." This prevented members of organized crime from intimidating or influencing anyone involved in law enforcement investigations. On November 21, 1980, Frank "Funzi" Tieri was the first La Cosa Nostra boss to be convicted under the RICO Act. And many more high ranking criminal minds would continue to fall under the RICO Act in the coming years.
Even though the RICO Act has improved prosecution of organized crime members, the problem still exsists even in today's society. And the FBI continues to persue, detain, and prosecute domestic criminal organizations.

Organized Internet Crime

With the development of the Internet and the continuing evolution of technology, criminals have found a new playground to conduct malicious activities. As technology advances as such a rapid rate, criminals have more and more opportunities to expose loop holes and weak links within companies,operating systems, and public and private institutions. The majority of the internet criminal activity is concentrated on identity and information theft. Some criminals however have no significant purpose or cause, they just simply do it for "fun." The greatest problems in finding and prosecuting these Internet criminals is the differences in international law. What may be illegal in the United States may not be in another country. The country with the greatest number of Internet criminals is Russia. This is because there are no laws prohibiting such activity and some institutions in Russia actually teach "cyber crime."
This information was taken from Symantec Internet security report , which is an analysis of "techniques, sources and motives behind Internet-based attacks." within the previous six-month period. Staying on top of the criminals is difficult because each time technology changes, their methods change. In the United States, the FBI is leading the way of prosecuting online criminals, yet international law provides a safe haven for some criminals who's country will not allow extradition and/or prosecution by another country. However bleak the perspective, there are some signs of progress and hope.
The first step to preventing Internet crime from happening to you is to make sure you or your company have taken the proper precautions. Installing spyware and anti-virus software is a must for any Internet user. And even though most people have it, they fail to update it after the initial installation. Firewalls are a great way to protect yourself, if you know how to set it up correctly. The most important part of Internet security is you. You can start by encrypting data that could be harmful if stolen. Backing up valuable information and storing it on a separate drive so its not connected to the Internet. Scanning audio/video files and email attachments before downloading them. And if you install any software be sure you know where it came from and what purpose it is going to serve. Many precautions can be taken, but its ultimately up to the user to stay continuously aware of their activities and information sharing. The greatest deterrent to Internet crime is to protect yourself before it happens to you.

Global Organized Crime

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, global organized crime has become a significant concern on national security. Even in the post 9/11 world, the impact of global organized crime cannot be overlook as a serious concern. Even though this study was written in 1996 it brings up some interesting points that may be directly related to the war on terror.
Terrorists groups can fall into the category of global organized crime because of their political, economic, and social impact on the United States. You may be asking why I am labeling terrorists under organized crime. It is very evident that terrorism is global in reach, criminal in its intent, and highly organized in its tactics. Take into consideration the events after the 9/11 attacks. The economic downfall it briefly caused was a direct effect of the crime that was committed. There is no better evidence than its effect on airline industry. American travel has been forever changed as a result of the events of 9/11.
The political ramifications are still apparent in the news today. The presidents social and economic agenda have taken a back seat to the war on terror. The war in Iraq has stretched the economic price tag to unbelievable extremes. Billions of dollars have been used to up-date government security agencies, provide the military with equipment, and help the nation of Iraq and Afghanistan rebuild their war-torn countries.
The social impact is obviously apparent because the events of the organization has changed the way our entire country thinks, believes, and reacts. The peace and security the American people once took for granted has now been propelled to the fore-front. You can call it terrorism or global organized crime, either way the impact these organizations can inflict can be far reaching and long lasting. And its ramifications can effect the policy and economy of an entire country with you quick display of power