Organized Crime in the Construction Industry

Abstract

The theft of heavy equipment from construction sites is an organized, systematic, criminal operation, encouraged and sustained by contractors within the construction industry and designed to enrich burglars, illicit salesmen, and seemingly legitimate businessmen. From information gathered directly from those affected and involved, the article shows how the system of organized construction site crime works, which institutions profit as a result, and how these institutions support one another to give organized theft the means to survive. Finally, it explains the reasons for failure of current attempts to fight this type of crime and suggests the types of institutional and societal changes needed to curtail it.