Assessing the Effectiveness of Organized Crime Control Strategies ...

3.0 Definitional Issues, Measurement and Other
Concerns in Organized Crime Research
A
ny review of assessments of OC control strategies is limited by the degree of rigor and
overall quality of scholarly works on the topic. The previous section has emphasized the
dearth of rigorous evaluations of efforts to combat OC. There is little standardization with
regard to the research methods used and much of the literature is anecdotal or descriptive. Thus,
assertions are often made in the absence of any empirical evidence or they are based on rather
crude, descriptive data.
Three key factors compromise the quality and sophistication of the literature on OC:
Definitional Issues – There is little consensus as to a definition of OC. However one
conceptualizes OC, it is ultimately the key dependent (outcome) variable in studies aiming to
determine the impact of OC control efforts. That is, in order to assert that an initiative has been
beneficial, one must presumably demonstrate that it has engendered some reduction in OC. A
failure to agree on what OC is compromises its measurement and any claims as to the beneficial
effects of various policies and practices.
Data-Related Issues – The dearth of standardized data on organized crime has compelled
scholars to rely on a multitude of sources, some of which have been of questionable credibility.
Some sources of information are likely to be self-serving and sensationalistic, while others are
heavily biased in favour of a certain view of OC.
Crude and Varied Performance Measures – The definitional issues and the limited data
available on OC groups and activities have served as major impediments to the measurement of
the impact of initiatives designed to control OC. Performance measures used are highly
diversified and are often very basic, calling into question the credibility of much of the evidence
advanced on the success of OC control efforts.
The remainder of this chapter elaborates on these issues.
3.1 Definitional Issues
There are numerous references to the lack of consensus on any existing definition of OC. There
are varied definitions offered by scholars, as well as great variation in legal definitions provided
under different statutes. In its evaluation of the Federal Strike Forces established to fight OC, the
United States’ General Accounting Office (1977:i) observed that “there is no agreement on what
organized crime is and, consequently, on precisely whom or what the Government is fighting.”
Later in that same report, the GAO added: “Before a problem can be dealt with, it must be
adequately defined. Participating Federal agencies cannot completely agree on what the term
‘organized crime’ encompasses” (p.8). Furthermore, the report cited a 1974 survey of Federal
Attorneys in the US, commissioned by the US Attorneys’ Advisory Committee, which revealed
that over half thought that OC was not defined sufficiently to delineate prosecutorial
responsibility.
Research and Statistics Division / Department of Justice Canada | 7