Re:Perceptions haven't caught up to decline in crime
by brownbat on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @11:36PM
(#8328440)
> Could a 70's style Mafia survive today? I doubt it.
RICO deserves a lot of the credit. Capone was booked on tax evasion instead of, say, all the murders. It took almost 40 years for an effective federal racketeering statute to be passed, and longer still for police and prosecutors to learn how to use it.
RICO has its downsides, has been criticized for providing too much power to law enforcement. It's a pretty solid mob busting tool though.
That said, two caveats. First, I'm not sure how much of crime is due to organized crime. I'm not sure that affects your bigger point though, that police techniques (as well as maybe legal tools) have improved.
Secondly, note that organized crime does exist today. La Cosa Nostra is still around, as are various eastern European and Asian groups. Albanian groups are apparently one of the most formidable rising threats. Organized crime is probably harder, but it's also probably adapted to find ways to not get caught.
RICO deserves a lot of the credit. Capone was booked on tax evasion instead of, say, all the murders. It took almost 40 years for an effective federal racketeering statute to be passed, and longer still for police and prosecutors to learn how to use it.
RICO has its downsides, has been criticized for providing too much power to law enforcement. It's a pretty solid mob busting tool though.
That said, two caveats. First, I'm not sure how much of crime is due to organized crime. I'm not sure that affects your bigger point though, that police techniques (as well as maybe legal tools) have improved.
Secondly, note that organized crime does exist today. La Cosa Nostra is still around, as are various eastern European and Asian groups. Albanian groups are apparently one of the most formidable rising threats. Organized crime is probably harder, but it's also probably adapted to find ways to not get caught.
Historical crime stats by category: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
CRS paper on organized crime in the US: http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40525.pdf