Organized Crime in America - Assignment Example

Militias in Somalia which are fighting the interim government in Somalia. This type of crime is well organized such that it may involve various associations of persons such as police, politicians, business people, and criminals which are formed for the purposes of generating profits. In addition, view organized crime as one of the social vices that thrive well in an enabling environment, violating human rights and hence should be discouraged at all costs. To my view, organized crime is common in urban areas but as its structure advances, it encroaches the rural areas, for instance, the 'Mungiki sect' in Kenya which is well established and organized both in the rural and urban areas of the country.

The definitions presented in the readings acknowledge similar organized crime activities as the ones in my perception with the exception of illegal prostitution. Both my perceptions and the definitions given concur with the unique factor about organized crime i.e. it is 'organized' or 'controlled' in the manner of their operation. Both the definitions and my perception are of the view that organized crime flourishes through provision/supply of services and goods that command a high demand in the society.

Both perceive attainment of power and profits some of the goals of the syndicated crime. The definitions in the readings recognize that organized crime operates as ongoing enterprises that work rationally so as to generate profits by pursuing illegal activities. These enterprises ensure their survival through the application of force or threats, and by corrupting public officials so as to secure a degree of protection against law enforcement. The definitions in the readings acknowledge illegal prostitution as one of the organized crime activities.

These definitions acknowledge that organized crime may entail legal acts; and that the organization may take hierarchical order with positions in the chain of command and the positions involving operational specialization being assigned on the grounds of either friendship, kinship or rational assignment based on skills(Sullivan, 2002). The definitions acknowledge the attainment of pride and protection as being additional goals of organized crime.The definitions acknowledge that members of an organized crime association who actively pursue their goals and to maintain the integral of the enterprise assume permanency.

To maintain the discipline or to achieve the ends, members express and exercise a willingness to use or engage in bribery and/or corruption. The definitions also note that membership of the organized crime enterprises is restricted and that nonmembers might be involved usually on an emergency/contingency basis. According to the definition of organized crime by Abadinski (1990), as quoted by Lunde (2004), "There are explicit rules, oral or written, which are enforced by sanctions that include murder (p.6). The definitions also note that the structure of an organized/syndicated crime relies on its particular illegal activity.

According to Best and Luckenbill, as quoted by Lyman and Gary (2004), 'despite syndicated crime being highly organized, a particular syndicate involved in illegal trafficking of drugs will have a different structure as compared to a syndicated crime engaging in illegal prostitution.