Organized crime and
Corporate Crime
“…had I a hundred tongues, a
hundred mouths, a voice of iron and
a chest of brass, I could not tell all
the forms of crime…” Virgil (70-19
B.C.)
Introduction
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Economic crimes of the powerful and/or
influential
Evolution of the concept of ‘greed’
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Piracy: past and present
Defining Organized Crime
H. Abadinsky – 1976 Am Task Force
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Two or persons
Supply illegal goods
predatory
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CDN Criminal Code
“enterprise crime” s. 462.3 (Box 11.4)
Attributes
Nonideological
Hierarchical
Limited or exclusive membership
Perpetuous
Specialization or division of labour
Monopolistic
Rules and regulations
Crime Groups in Canada
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Aboriginal crime groups:
Kahnawake & St. Regis –
smuggling cigarettes, alcohol and
illegal gambling operations
? ‘manufactured organized crime”
Power of the ‘black market’
CP through social development
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Cartels:
Definition
Drugs – Columbia, Nigeria,
Japanese, Russian…
Threats to democracy and national
security
Transcend borders… ‘tour de force’
Counter measures
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Ethnic groups:
? An assimilation problem
Influence of past social and
political environment
The power of violence
(Vietnamese)
International recognition (e.g.,
Netherlands)
Role of immigration (?)
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Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
Rebellion or misaligned?
“Ritualism” and “retreatism”
Hell’s Angels and Harley’s
A subculture of capitalist system
Evolved in level of sophistication
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Chain of command
Use of violence and bribery
Defined rules and regulations
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Explaining organized crime:
Definitional challenge
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“Che” Guevara
Crusaders of 1100-1300s
Some foreign governments
Strain, blocked opportunity, and
anomie
Functionalism
Line between crime and
government!
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SUMMARY
Widespread!
Economic impact!!
Providing an ‘illicit market’
Definitional challenge
O.C. is formalized and highly
structures
To counter requires…
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Interdisciplinary, integrated, and
international approach
Corporate Crime
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Crimes against public order by ‘big
business’
The ‘good’ ‘bad’ corporate citizen
White collar crime – E. Sutherland
Pervasive in society
Challenge to counter…
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Computer and High Technology
Crime
Highly profitable
and relatively risk free
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Types of computer crimes
 Ss. 342.1 & 430
Law enforcement resources limited
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Explaining Corporate Crime
Differential association
Conflict perspective
Neutralization
Shaming
Power of being economically
motivated
NO single theory or strategy
sufficient
SUMMARY
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Organized crime and corporate
crime pervasive
Differ in characteristics but similar
in modus operandi
Intervention efforts minimal
Temptation powerful
Role of an interdisciplinary and
integrated approach
Time is up…