Summary
Summary CMY3702 Crime Typologies - study notes
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Study notes made in preparation for exams for CMY3702 Crime Typologies. to be used in conjunction with the approved study guide
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THEME 2 ORGANISED CRIMECHARACTERISTICS/ATTRIBUTES OF ORGANISED CRIME
Organisational Ensure that they will survive the loss of their leaders (self-perpetuating)
continuity Able to vary the nature of their activities
Hierarchical Headed by a single leader and structured into a series of subordinate ranks.
structure Organisations may be composed of multiple separate chapters or “families”
Intergroup disputes, joint ventures and new membership are generally reviewed by a board
composed of the leaders
Restricted/ The group formally accepts members after a demonstration of loyalty and willingness to
exclusive commit criminal acts.
membership Membership may be limited by race or common background
Involves a lifetime commitment to the group, which is enforced by violence
Criminality/ Power and control are key organised crime goals.
violence/power Criminal activity may be designed to generate “income” or to support the group’s power.
Violence is used to maintain group loyalty and to intimidate outsiders.
Specific acts include murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery and bombings
Legitimate To “launder” illegal funds or stolen merchandise
business
involvement
Use of specialists Pilots, chemists and arsonists.
Organised crime groups are often protected by corrupt officials.
The public supports organised crime by purchasing illegal goods
CATEGORIES OF ORGANISED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
Provision of illicit Illegal gambling operations; protection rackets, (a form of extortion, approach owners of small
services businesses and offer them “protection”); loan sharking, and prostitution
Provision of illicit Black market commodities, Illegal drugs, Pornography, Unregistered guns and stolen goods
goods
Conspiracy to An agreement between two or more people to violate the law.
commit crime Knowledge or approval of criminal group leaders
Penetration of Have no legal way to spend their illicit profits
legitimate Must hide as much of their revenue as possible.
business Penetrate legitimate business to conceal its illicit revenue and to hide behind a cloak of legitimacy
Extortion The use or threatened use of violence or force to achieve a criminal end”
Associated with loansharking and the threat of violence against those who fail to repay debts
Corruption Aid of public and private figures (police officers, judges/magistrates, prosecutors, mayors and
municipal officials, bankers, attorneys, accountants and elected officials)
STRUCTURE OF ORGANISED CRIME IN SOUTH AFRICA
Including businessmen and corrupt public officials.
A loose Success may be ascribed to the close cooperation between criminal groups and the economic
association of
sector where legitimate businesses are involved in both legal and illegal activities.
people
A complex and Undertake a variety of criminal activities.
adaptable These activities are usually undertaken on a large scale
structure Appear adaptable with regard to the available opportunities and the changing market.
The supply of illegal goods and services.
A business
They need some sort of basis so that “customers” have access to these services.
structure
Require both skilled and unskilled labour.
Workers within
Drug industry includes:
the structure
1. entrepreneurs – purchase drugs from the suppliers and organise their distribution
2. dealers – transport the drugs
3. importers and wholesalers – make the drugs available to retailers, who in turn sell them to
consumers (drug users)
The primary objective
Economic gain Power and status may also be motivating factors.
Techniques used to attain objectives are based on conspiracy and coercion.
Crime syndicates use physical intimidation, violence and corruption to advance their interests.
CMY3702/1 1
,FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ORGANISED CRIME IN SOUTH AFRICA
Renewed international investment in South Africa
Favourable geographical position on the main trade routes
Accessibility via land, sea and air
A demand for illegal goods (drugs, firearms, counterfeit money, vehicles and endangered (scarce) special
products)
Criminal alliances that work because of community involvement in illegal activities
The large-scale presence of illegal immigrants – creates competition
Social and technological development
Poor border control
Corrupt officials
a capitalist system that promotes competition – success is measured in terms of material goods
relative poverty and unemployment
a lack of trust in the criminal justice system
THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF ORGANISED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
Rational The decision to commit crime is a rational choice made after weighing the benefits and
choice theory consequences.
Beccaria and Bentham.
Perceived people as free agents who are able to make rational choices
The members of organised crime syndicates have free will and are able to make rational
decisions.
No attention paid to the offenders’ backgrounds or the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Punishment was based on the pleasure/pain principle. The pain of the punishment outweighs
the pleasure the offender experienced.
The punishment should fit the crime.
In the context of organised crime, financial incentives play an important role.
Deterrence Crime can be reduced through the use of deterrents.
theory Based on the assumption that criminals will think carefully before they commit a crime if the
likelihood of getting caught and punishmed is present.
General deterrence theory – crime may be thwarted by the threat of punishment. If people
fear arrest, they will choose not to commit a criminal act.
Specific deterrence theory – penalties for criminal acts should be sufficiently severe to prevent
the convicted criminal from repeating the crime.
Psychological A person’s personality traits play a role in his/her day-to-day decision making.
traits and Anxiety, behavioural disorders, depression and a short attention span, have been identified in
personality studies of criminal populations.
These traits make people susceptible to substance abuse, promiscuity, and violence and
sociopathy.
The antisocial personality
A dangerous, aggressive person who shows little remorse for his/her actions, who is not
deterred by punishment, and who does not learn from past mistakes.
Appear to have a pleasant personality and an above-average level of intelligence.
An inability to form lasting relationships.
Lacks fundamental traits (e.g. the ability to love and care for others and emotional depth)
Displays an unusually low level of anxiety.
The dependent personality
Important characteristics:
1. A pervasive pattern of dependent and submissive behaviour. Have a history of poor social
interaction and have been described as “weak and ineffective, lacking energy, passive and nice,
but totally inadequate”. Have maintained a relationship with a significant member of the
immediate family well into their adulthood. Have a discomfort about having maintained the
relationship. Many feel resentment and animosity toward their “significant other. Many of the
significant others had made most, if not all, decisions for person
2
, 2. The over-controlled aspect of their personalities. Unable to control their anger, frustration and
hostility. The person suppresses their emotions and runs the risk of an explosive episode. There
is unfortunately no way to predict when or how. When a situation occurs that the person
perceives to be hostile, he/she reacts excessively and inappropriately, releasing years of anger
and frustration.
Learning Emphasise the attitudes, ability, values and behaviours
theories Studied how individuals learn deviant values and behaviour within the context of family and
friends.
Gangs
Participation in youth gangs provides a training ground for future participants in organised
crime.
Useful organised crime qualities are taught.
“Toughness” and “smartness” are important values.
Creates the “capacity for subordinating individual desires to the general group’s interests as
well as the capacity for intimate and persistent interaction”.
Differential association
Criminal behaviour is learnt from associations with others
The tendency for innovating through criminality depends on the strength of these
associations.
Criminal behaviour occurs when definitions favourable to violating the law exceed definitions
unfavourable to violating the law.
Factors such as deprivation, limited access to legitimate alternatives and exposure to success
models (i.e. pimps, gamblers and drug dealers) create a susceptibility to criminal behaviour.
Sources of behavioural motivation for criminals are much the same as those for conformists
(e.g. a desire for money and success).
Social Link criminality to the social conditions in particular neighbourhoods.
disorganisation The reasons crime rates are high in those areas are urban decay, a general deterioration of
theories the ecology of inner cities, and general societal and familial deterioration.
The necessary social services, educational opportunities, housing and health care are
inadequate.
Relative deprivation
The inequality between communities where the poor and the rich live in close proximity to
one another creates a general feeling of anger, hostility and social injustice on the part of
inner-city inhabitants.
Youths are able to witness affluence first hand, but they are deprived of its benefits.
Anomie
An emphasis on “specific goals”.
This emphasis becomes “virtually exclusive” and ignores appropriate means for achieving
those goals.
Deviant acts become attractive when expectations of reward are not fulfilled.
Emphasis on the accumulation of wealth as a symbol of success leads to a disregard for
considerations of how that wealth was obtained
Cultural
deviance Slum dwellers violate the law because they belong to a unique subculture that exists in lower-
theories class areas.
The subculture’s values and norms conflict with those of the upper class on which criminal law is
based.
The lower-class lifestyle is characterised by being tough, taking care of one’s own affairs and
rejecting any government authority.
Role models such as drug dealers, thieves and pimps are readily observable.
If social status and wealth cannot be attained by conventional means, an attractive alternative
is financial success through the lower-class subculture.
Lower-class youths are not really rebelling against the upper class as much as they are striving
to comply with the rules and values of their lower-class culture.
2.14.1 The Nigerian 419 scam (AFF – advance fee fraud)
Meaning: An upfront payment by a victim to allow him/her to take part in a much larger financial transaction,
CMY3702/1 3 which
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