Local and State Action against Organized Crime

Abstract

Organized crime is a major problem but not a major concern. The public is interested but not alarmed. The traditional structure of relationships between local, state, and federal levels of government places obstacles in the way of effective assault on the national problem of organized crime. To combat organized crime, good government is required, dedicated to good law enforcement, at all levels. Specific suggestions for local and state action concern: mechanisms for co-ordination of investigative efforts and findings; minimum standards for operations and personnel; correction, with a view to co-ordination and professionalization, of the fragmen tation of law enforcement into inadequate and obsolete units; specialist criminal-intelligence units to collect information on a wide scale, to assimilate and co-ordinate on a narrow scale, and to disseminate findings broadly and take direct action; several legal requirements; disposition of cases in lower crimi nal courts; some types of licensing and regulatory activities; improvement of information; general upgrading of police- personnel training, career incentives, supervision, administra tion, and salary. In addition to these substantive efforts, strong public support is necessary for a meaningful and effec tive campaign against organized crime.