Question

What are some of the “other” organized criminal groups that this chapter discusses? What kinds of activities do they engage in?

Answer 1

Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals who intend to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for money and profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, are politically motivated. Sometimes criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for "protection". Gangs may become disciplined enough to be considered organized. A criminal organization or gang can also be referred to as a mafia, mob, or crime syndicate; the network, subculture and community of criminals may be referred to as the underworld.

Patron-client networks:

• Hierarchies based on 'naturally' forming family, social and cultural traditions;
• 'Tight-knit' focus of activity/labor;
• Fraternal or nepotistic value systems;
• Personalized activity; including family rivalries, territorial disputes, recruitment and training of family members, etc.;
• Entrenched belief systems, reliance of tradition (including religion, family values, cultural expectations, class politics, gender roles, etc.); and,
• Communication and rule enforcement mechanisms dependent on organizational structure, social etiquette, history of criminal involvement, and collective decision-making.

Bureaucratic/corporate operations:

• A complex authority structure;
• An extensive division of labor between classes within the organization;
• Meritocratic (as opposed to cultural or social attributes);
• Responsibilities carried out in an impersonal manner;
• Extensive written rules/regulations (as opposed to cultural praxis dictating action); and,
• 'Top-down' communication and rule enforcement mechanisms.

Youth and street gangs:An estimate on youth street gangs nationwide provided by Hannigan, et al., marked an increase of 35% between 2002 and 2010.A distinctive gang culture underpins many, but not all, organized groups;this may develop through recruiting strategies, social learning processes in the corrective system experienced by youth, family or peer involvement in crime, and the coercive actions of criminal authority figures. The term “street gang” is commonly used interchangeably with “youth gang,” referring to neighborhood or street-based youth groups that meet “gang” criteria. Miller (1992) defines a street gang as “a self-formed association of peers, united by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership and internal organization, who act collectively or as individuals to achieve specific purposes, including the conduct of illegal activity and control of a particular territory, facility, or enterprise."Some reasons youth join gangs include to feel accepted, attain status, and increase their self-esteem. A sense of unity brings together many of the youth gangs that lack the family aspect at home.