NCJ Number
190949
Date Published
June 2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper examines whether the nature of the crime of the future is the same as the crime of yesterday, whether existing crime prevention techniques are adequate for addressing "new crimes," and whether political and organizational structures for dealing with transnational organized crime are appropriate and effective.
Abstract
The "new" crimes that have emerged in recent years are associated with organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, computer crime, and crime against the environment. The issue is whether the traditional approaches -- data collection, an evidence-based focus, and the development of partnerships, along with respect for the law, regulation of conduct, and situational crime prevention -- are sufficient to counter and prevent these "new" crimes. Changes in demography, the economy, and globalization and technology pose challenges that stretch beyond the traditional crime prevention approaches of data, techniques, evidence, and partnership. They require the development of new data, new techniques and evidence, and new types of partnerships. Depending on the nature of the threat, there are at least four types of approaches for counteracting many of the emerging crimes. They are public awareness, capacity-building, and civil sanctions; situational crime prevention; new partnerships; and international cooperation. By becoming aware of the "new" forms of crime, citizens can avoid becoming victims. Through capacity-building, expanded and specialized resources can be brought to bear on transnational crime; and through civil sanctions, the financial resources of criminal organizations can be depleted. Situational crime prevention involves using new technologies to prevent and detect criminals' efforts to use new electronic tools to advance criminal enterprises. New partnerships are required to marshal the expertise necessary to detect and counter the sophisticated methods of the "new" criminals.