NCJ Number
11771
Date Published
1971
Length
107 pages
Annotation
SUMMARY OF THE PURPOSE, CONCLUSIONS AND CONTENTS OF THE STUDY OF THE NATURE, EXTENT AND IMPACT OF ORGANIZED CRIME, AND PART ONE OF THE COMPLETE REPORT.
Abstract
THE DATA ARE BASED ON IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT-RELATED INDIVIDUALS, A SURVEY OF COURT RECORDS AND A HOUSEHOLD SURVEY SAMPLING THE FOUR MOST POPULOUS AREAS OF THE STATE. FINDINGS CONFIRM THE EXISTANCE OF ORGANIZED CRIME IN VARYING DEGREES IN MAJOR COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS THE EXISTENCE OF A CONTINUING CONSPIRACY BETWEEN RACKETEERS AND CERTAIN POLITICIANS, BUSINESS, LABOR AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. ORGANIZED CRIME IS SAID TO PERSIST BECAUSE IT CATERS TO CITIZEN DESIRES, IS NOT UNACCEPTABLE TO COMMUNITY POWER STRUCTURES, AND BECAUSE CITIZENS ARE AMBIVALENT. ORGANIZED CRIME IS FOUND TO HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON BOTH CITIZENS AND STATE, TO INDUCE A STATE OF FEAR AND ANXIETY, TO EXTRACT ENORMOUS PROFITS, TO IMPAIR THE IMAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND TO BE GENERICALLY DIFFERENT FROM ORDINARY CRIME. FOR THE COMPLETE REPORT, SEE NCJ11772. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)