Crime & Globalization
Introduction
• 1. How do you think globalization has changed
crime?
• With the world becoming a smaller place
through globalization, crimes have evolved as
well.
▫ It’s not just the local crimes that used to happen,
now crimes & criminal issues cross borders
▫ Nothing you do in the criminal world is in a
vacuum, it’s interrelated
European Union
European Union
• What – if anything – do you know about the EU? What is
a defining characteristic?
• Has anyone traveled to Europe recently? Did you go to
more than 1 country? Did you notice anything when
traveling between countries?
• Before the EU, you had to go through customs at each
country (bags checked, etc).
▫ Now if you travel via air, they check your passport but when
driving between countries, there is no check
▫ This development was one of the biggest kick-starters of
global crime because it used to be country-based criminal
operations but now it spans throughout Europe because
travel is more free
Prostitution & Globalization
• 2. What is human trafficking?
• Trade in humans – most likely for sexual slavery,
forced labor, or body parts
▫ Ex: Taken
▫ Many of the women who advertise prostitution
services in the U.S. are here against their own free will;
brought by human traffickers with false promises of
marriage, modeling, nanny job, etc.
▫ Women have to pay back the money or work off the
debt (which takes several years)
▫ Many are from Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa
▫ Many are underage (16-17 years old)
• -An estimated one million children are forced to
work in the global sex industry every year.
-The global sex slavery market generates a $39
billion profit annually.
-Selling young girls is more profitable than
trafficking drugs or weapons.
Video Clips
• 3. How do sporting events encourage the sex
trafficking industry?
• http://katiecouric.com/videos/sex-traffickingsporting-events/
• A victim speaks out
▫ http://katiecouric.com/videos/sex-traffickingvictim/
• 4. How can you spot sex trafficking?
▫ http://katiecouric.com/videos/how-to-spot-stopsex-trafficking/
Tier 1: gov’t has recognized the problem & met standards to address it
Tier 2: gov’t has not met standards but is making efforts
Tier 3: no standards have been met or attempted
Cuba vs. Amsterdam
Cuba
Amsterdam
• Similar to an escort service
▫ Women will approach a
single or wealthy-looking
man, offering to show him
local sites
▫ Accept money & gifts in
exchange for week or month
of work
▫ Relatively safe
▫ Culturally subtle
• Visible places of business
▫ Men (mostly) approach
women for their services
▫ Payment is a standard fee
▫ Workers receive gov’t health
benefits
▫ Ironically male prostitutes
are seen as distracting or
uncomfortable
Prostitution in CA
• Unfortunately prostitution in CA is more
common than you think
▫ Scams lead to robbery
▫ Craigslist problems
▫ By the way, it is illegal to put someone’s name or
contact info on craigslist (create a false persona
with the intent to harass someone) – computer
crime law
Drugs & Globalization
• 5. Locally, you may know there is a big of a drug
problem. Where do these drugs come from?
• Marijuana – Mexico or Northern CA
▫ National parks have become a big problem run by
Mexican cartels
▫ Profits are used to buy guns which kill/intimidate
people (border patrol, etc)
• Hard drugs like cocaine or heroine are from
Central or S. America (ex. Columbia)
Drugs continued
• Middle East & Africa have more recently become a
hot-bed for drugs
• Afghanistan
▫ 1 of biggest cash crops is poppies (used for opiates in
heroine)
▫ Profits used to support Taliban which targets U.S.
soldiers
• Parts of Africa
▫ Some unstable, corrupt gov’t make it easy for drugs to
set up shop
▫ Ex. Somalia (Black Hawk Down) with cot
Crossing Borders
• 6. If drugs are grown in other countries, how do
they get to the U.S.?
• Crossing borders via: (how do they get here?)
▫ Smuggling in vehicles, suitcases, or in people’s
bodies
▫ *Extremely dangerous!
Drugs & Violence
• Mexican gang violence
relates to drugs because
they compete for power
& control of turf
▫ Biggest Mexican gang is
Los Zetas – an
extremely violent gang
▫ http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=kcW1uZ52
mYo
Street Racing
& Globalization
• 7. How does street racing relate to
globalization? Where does this occur?
• Have you ever seen the “soup”ed-up Honda
Civics?
▫ Street racing is illegal in the U.S. (as is being a
spectator at a street race)
▫ It happens a lot in Long Beach & parts of S. OC
▫ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEHOGXkbvc
I
Car Modifications
• The modifications to cars impact globalization
▫ To try to make the car faster, owners reduce the weight & take
stuff out (like the back seat) but this makes the car structurally
unstable so if there is an accident, it collapses like a tin can
▫ Engines, exhaust & other parts are also added to try to make the
cars faster
▫ Many of these parts are illegal under U.S. environmental laws
▫ If you buy an engine in the U.S., there is a 5 digit id number but
in other countries, it’s only a 4 digit number
▫ CA law says if you’re stopped by a police officer who suspects
your car has been illegally modified, s/he can look at your car
without a warrant
 Hood with razor blades
 Engine digit code numbers
 If car doesn’t meet standards, it is seized then crushed
Cars continued
• Environment continued
▫ Usually Japan & China supply these illegal parts
▫ People try to buy the illegal car parts online then
smuggle them into the U.S.
▫ The EPA regulates & investigates these car parts
because they don’t have the admissions controls
that legal U.S. motors have or the safety
mechanisms that prevent cars from catching fire
&/or emitting pollutants
Cars continued
• How to spot an illegally modified car?
▫ 1 of the biggest giveaways is a modified exhaust
(loud)
▫ Stuffed animal or medallion hanging from rear
bumper is also a sign
▫ Special detail officers catch racers by pulling up to
cars at a stop light then inching up or revving the
engine. As soon as cars take off, they get pulled
over.
▫ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadq9usA2SQ