time to lower the BAC limit - New Zealand Police Association

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceLifting the lid on organised crime:Understanding organised crime: Last year, followingmounting concern amongst members about theunchecked rise of organised crime in New Zealand,the Police Association undertook an in-depthinvestigation to build a better understandingof the problem. In last month’s magazine,Police News began exploring 10 keyfeatures of organised crime. This monthwe continue our series by looking at howorganised crime conducts its businessthrough networks of front companies andprofessional advisers, in its quest for profit.Photo courtesy of Istockphoto.com and Hidesey.10 key features of organised crimeThe Police Association’s work, drawing on overseas studiessuch as that conducted by Victoria Police and the AustralianNational University, identified 10 key features of organisedcrime:1. Organised crime does not begin; it evolves.2. Organised crime is not gangs.3. Organised crime is criminal enterprise.4. Organised crime is networked.5. Organised crime is profit motivated.6. Organised crime is opportunistic and adaptable.7. Organised crime seeks to hide and legitimise wealth.8. Organised crime seeks to corrupt.9. Organised crime networks are resilient.10. Traditional policing is not enough.Last month’s article covered the first three features.4. Organised crime is networked.Modern organised crime is made up of a network of individuals andgroups. It is not a closed, hierarchical organisation.That means combating organised crime is not simply a matterof catching ‘Mr Big’. Networks are complex, with highly fluidconnections, and power is widely distributed. It’s not a case of findingthe top of the pyramid, or finding the linchpin, which will bring thewhole lot tumbling down.130June 2010As noted by the Australian Crime Commission in 2007:Organised crime groups have … tended to be highlystructured and hierarchical but this has started to changerecently as they adopt more flexible structures, operating innetworks to progress joint ‘business ventures’. These networksbring together groups and individuals who play complementaryroles and may involve criminals of different ethnicities, skillsand criminal interests. Some networks are formed for shortperiods while others may last for years. 1The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada similarly observed:Almost all organised crime groups network or collaboratewith other groups to facilitate criminality. For instance, crimegroups may collaborate by combining funds to finance a largeimportation or production operation. It is also common for moresophisticated groups to regularly use smaller, less capablegroups to distribute contraband. Few groups operate with nocontact or collaboration with others. 2As a specific example, with reference to Royal Canadian MountedPolice (RCMP) intelligence on the Canadian heroin trade:It is not uncommon for a member of one triad to team up withanother triad member and work for the leader of a heroinsmuggling group who is not a member of any triad at all. Thesituation is viewed as a private business transaction. Still, triadmembership can be essential for purposes of networking andthe development of criminal relationships based on trust. 31 Organised Crime In Australia, Australian Crime Commission, 2007 Edition.2 Organised Crime in Canada, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, Annual Report 20073 Asian organised crime and terrorist activity in Canada 1999-2002, Library of Congress, July 2003