Organized Crime in Societal Context: Causes and Controls

Organized Crime and Its Societal Roots

It is prudent to consider organized crime within the broader societal context because research evidence and criminological theory have shown that such crime does not occur in isolation. Rather, it is driven by a set of societal factors ranging from cultural values to corruption, political failures, and economic issues. Society, therefore, does have a hand in the emergence and continued development of organized crime. As a matter of fact, organized crime is integrated into society, and unless we can effectively conceptualize and understand society's role in fueling it, we may not be able to devise a sustainable solution to the problem.

Criminological theory and models lend credence to the idea that organized crime is driven and fueled by society. They demonstrate that organized crime occurs as a result of failures or inconsistencies in the political, economic, and social systems that govern society.

The Role of Political Factors

Political models suggest that organized crime occurs as a result of the disconnect that exists within a country's political systems. When the political system is vulnerable, criminals take advantage of the inherent gaps to further their own interests at the expense of other citizens (Unit 3 lecture notes). In his review of the Sicilian Mafia, Servadio (1978), as discussed in the Unit 3 lecture notes, clearly demonstrates that when political systems are weak, there are no adequate mechanisms to keep the government in check — this provides room for unscrupulous officials to enrich themselves by forming links with criminal organizations. The tobacco smuggling business between Canada and the U.S., for instance, thrived primarily because of corruption among security and border patrol officials (Beare, 2002: 228). Moreover, when the government's authority is weakened — say, as a result of transitioning from autocracy to democracy — and the administration is unable to secure and provide for its people, criminal groups tend to develop and thrive as people seek alternative means of earning an income.

People then begin to rely on these criminal groups to provide the safety and security that the government is unable to offer. These were the circumstances under which the Sicilian Mafia developed. Anton Blok's 1974 review, as presented in the Unit 3 lecture notes, clearly demonstrates that with the break-up of feudalism, the central government became so weak that it was unable to protect its people's estates, leaving this responsibility to organized groups that ultimately ended up harassing poor citizens — especially those who could not afford to pay for services rendered. Society, therefore, contributes to organized crime through weak political systems, and in order to effectively combat it, policymakers will need to include in their prevention policies effective strategies for correcting gaps in those systems. Failure to consider organized crime from this perspective increases the risk of developing incomplete policies.