The Nature and Extent of Crimes and Social Vices in Society - Essay Example

Title

Nature and Extent of Crime

Criminal justice systems, especially law enforcement agencies, typically have an arduous responsibility to work collaboratively with primary stakeholders to ensure law and order prevails in the vicinity. It proved an uphill task in the recent past, following a considerable increase in cr rates of crimes and antisocial practices. The nature and extent of crimes and asocial conduct witnessed tended to vary from region to region alongside technological advancements. Some common crimes and social vices include, violent, property, public order, economic, and white-collar to organized crimes (Siegel 10). That puts the entire criminal justice system, more so criminologists in the spotlight. Usually, they have to mitigate and document all the occurrences, place appropriate measures meant to restore law and order, enhance safety and security in the neighborhood as highlighted in the paper via “the nature and extent of crime, chapter two."

As already hinted above, the nature and extent of crimes and social vices in society seem quite diverse, as documented clearly in the various sources of crime-related data. Some sources of crime-related data, which give insights about diversity of crimes and antisocial behavior include the uniform crime report, UCR, evidence-based justice report, EBJR, national incident-based reporting system, NIBRS, national crime victimization survey, NCVS, and self-report surveys, among others (Siegel 9). Honestly, these sources of crime-related data bear different kinds of crimes, extents, trends, and patterns which familiarization with are essential. In general, all prosecutable crimes and antisocial conduct fall under six broad categories. They are violent crimes, property crimes, public order crimes, economic crimes, white-collar crimes, and organized crimes.

Violent crime generally entails forceful activities and practices prohibited by prevailing laws and social norms. Typically, the perpetrator of a violent crime intends to cause physical and psychological damages to victims. In extreme cases, the violent act sometimes turns outrageous, leading to the premature death of victims. Usually, violent crimes attract administrative charges related to assault, rape, manslaughter, kidnapping, and murder, among others (Graz 1). The perpetrator of violent crimes may harbor ulterior motives such as stealing or sexual intimacy.

Upon discovering that the victim may not easily let go of his or her property, the culprit may apply threats, force, or coercion to achieve their dark objectives, hence violent crime. Precisely, applicable legislations disallow violent crimes because they do cause grave physical and mental harm to victims, which perpetrators should compensate legally. Examples of violent crimes include domestic violence, homicide, rape, battery, and much more (Graz 2). Following frequent reports of violence-related crimes in society, the extent of this crime runs deep. Therefore, the police need to up the game in synergy with primary stakeholders.

Aside from violent crimes are the famously known property crimes, which criminologists should adequately comprehend for efficient and effective service provision. The law confers adequate safety and security for properties, both public and private, for enhanced growth, development, and posterity (Tseloni 3). On certain occasions, some individuals do break the law concerning property through various means, such as the unlawful acquisition of property or damage for personal financial gains.

Consequently, activities alongside practices such as robbery, pilferage, vandalism, theft, burglary, shoplifting, and arson, among others, related to these all amount to offenses committed against property (Tseloni 4). Law enforcers should investigate, report to the relevant authorities or agencies, and prosecute suspects before the due process for either conviction or exoneration, as shown in the article under scrutiny. Property crimes are presently widespread in different parts of society, going by the statistical records available. Therefore, extra caution is essential for the reduction of the same, especially by law enforcement agencies.

Apart from property crimes, public order crimes as a significant nature and extent of crime and antisocial behavior worth understanding by law enforcement agencies in pursuit of justice delivery. Perpetrators of such crimes usually do not intend to cause damage or some form of harm to another person or snatch anything away from them except when they are trading, hence a victimless crime (Ellen 5). Typically, public order crimes are victimless crimes or asocial practices that some individuals commit and eventually cause harm to a section of society members or themselves consciously or unconsciously.

Typical examples of public order crimes or vices in society include the use or abuse of psychoactive drugs and substances, illegal gambling, prostitution, and pornography, among others (Levi 7). Unfortunately, today, public order crimes and social vices are widespread in the community. Therefore, law enforcement agencies should remain extra vigilant to restore normalcy. To justify the extent of this asocial and criminal practice is the enhanced rates of indecency or immorality, underage substance use, and abuse, coupled with backstreet abortions, sexually transmitted infections, and school dropouts.

In addition to the public order, crimes and social vices are the prosecutable economic crimes that law enforcers need to comprehend for efficient and effective investigation and prosecution. Economic or corporate crimes are those asocial and unlawful practices by prominent or high ranking people in organizations or in the business world such as CEO’s, which benefit particular organizations at the expense of others (Levi 6). For instance, violations of environmental laws, kickbacks, tax evasion, forgery, and fraud, among others, fall under corporate or economic crimes and unethical practices.

In other words, operating a business under the direct control of or conspiring with cartels amounts to economic crimes, a prosecutable offense. Similarly, white-collar crimes also entail conducting business activity in direct contravention of applicable rules and regulations to derive benefits unfairly. For example, engaging in graft, documents forgery, and embezzlement of funds and much more for personal gains all fall under this category and are therefore prosecutable before judicial systems (Siegel 8). The problem of economic crimes is currently a widespread practice in society, which deserves rooting out for fair business practices. Honestly, many organizations collapsed while others are on the brink following the challenge of economic crimes and unethical activities perpetuated by dishonest and unethical leaders in society.

Besides economic crimes, organized crimes are significant types of crimes and economic evils in the business field, which criminologists should understand to be able to serve society as required or even better. Notably, organized crimes tend to revolve around enterprises' activities, hence enterprise economic evils. It typically involves a cartel that unfairly and illegally controls all activities in a particular business field, sector, or industry (Siegel 9). It involves the formation and engagement of cohesive and effective criminal cartels or gangs in the field of business, which may take control of operations locally, nationally, regionally, or internationally.

Organized crimes or enterprise evils may include activities and practices such as bribery or graft, extortion, embezzlement of funds, counterfeiting, fraud, money laundering, and terrorism (Ellen 5). Moreover, unlawful transnational activities and practices like human trafficking, sex trafficking, cyber-attacks, organized prostitution, and pornography fall under r this category. In addition to that, child exploitation, drug trafficking, organized murder or homicide, kidnappings, alongside others such as organized violent crimes, all fall under the category of organized crimes. Therefore, detectives should remain extra vigilant about such activities and practices to enhance the neighborhood's safety and security.

Indeed, organized crime is today posing a major safety and security threat to various regions of the world. In other words, the extent of this challenging problem is deep inside the society, and criminologists need to work extra hard in collaboration with key stakeholders to address the menace. Specifically, a network of organized crimes usually contributes towards the financing of illegal activities, which undermine the safety and security of people and property the world over such as terrorism and much more (Siegel 10).

In summary, for quite an extended period, society has experienced all manner of crimes and social vices, worth discouraging. Typically, it is the special responsibility of law enforcement agencies in synergy with key stakeholders to ensure that society maintains law and order. Truly, keeping law and order has been challenging in the recent past, including today following a significant increase in crime rate antisocial habits. Some of the common crimes and asocial conduct include violence, property, public order, economic, and white-collar to organized crimes. That turns the spotlight on the entire criminal justice system, especially criminologists. Usually, they have to mitigate and document all the occurrences, place appropriate measures meant to restore law and order, enhance safety and security in the neighborhood as highlighted in the paper via "the nature and extent of crime, chapter two."