Organized crime is defined as a criminal activity that involves a different group of people that are involved in activities that generate profit and money (Macionis and Gerber). There are different forms of organized crime that are financially inspired or motivationally inspired. One form of organized crime is gang criminality. It encompasses theft, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, etc. These crimes have gangs involved in them who use killing and violence to threaten people. They carry with them military weapons including modern rifles, bullets, etc. These criminal activities cannot be achieved by people who are reckless and foolhardy. These people are much disciplined, and they do things very effectively and efficaciously. It would be naïve to think that these people do not get assistance from the police. They are also involved in smuggling and taking ransom from people by kidnapping. Another form of organized crime is racketeering (Williams). It involves extortion and they take money from people who have both legal and illegal businesses. They are also involved in selling drugs and deceiving people by making them buy fake goods and chattels. The third form is syndicate crime. Syndicate crime also involves the selling of drugs and liquor, which are illegal and involved in the smuggling of drugs and also human trafficking (McIllwain). They are also involved in the business of call girls. The difference between them and other organized crime is that they refrain from violence so that they do not draw others’ attention. Thomas Schelling says that the people who provide the organized crime owners goods are victims. To some extent, I believe it is true because these people are very well equipped and disciplined in what they do. Sometimes people ask them for a loan and they are unable to return it on time with interest and they blackmail them and threaten them into doing things that the owners want them to do. The small gangs have to have these owners also some of their profits because they are operating in their area. I would partly agree with the statement, but the people should be bold enough to stand up to these people again it is easier said than done.
Works Cited
Macionis, J., and L. Gerber. “Sociology, Seventh Canadian Edition.” Don Mills: Pearson Education Canada, 2010.
McIllwain, Jeffrey Scott. “On the History, Theory, and Practice of Organized Crime: The Life and Work of Criminology’s Revisionist ‘Godfather,’ Joseph L. Albini (1930-2013).” Trends in Organized Crime, vol. 18, no. 1–2, 2015, pp. 12–40.
Williams, Phil. Russian Organized Crime. Routledge, 2014.
