NCJ Number
125002
Date Published
1990
Length
143 pages
Annotation
This monograph provides a framework for evaluating law enforcement programs established to control organized crime.
Abstract
Part of the reason for the ineffectiveness of prior evaluations of organized crime programs is that standard evaluation techniques are simply not appropriate. The proposed evaluation design is based on a harm-based measurement of organized crime rather than on an activity-based measure. The rationale for assessing the overall harm attributable to organized crime is discussed, along with the way priorities are determined by organized crime control units and the way their actions can be assessed in terms of how they contribute to reducing harm. Ways of collecting information to be used in the evaluation and a plan for implementing evaluation measures are proposed. While the proposed evaluation plan has benefited from the comments of officials from strike forces and other law enforcement agencies, only a limited amount of case file analysis has been conducted. To ground the evaluation plan more firmly in reality, more organized crime cases must be analyzed. The phased approach to implementing the evaluation plan is designed to accomplish this, while providing preliminary evaluation data for the organized crime control unit's use. Appendixes contain data collection exhibits and a detailed definition of organized crime. 74 references, 2 tables, 5 figures.