NCJ Number
77823
Date Published
1982
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the potential value of involving the police in the fight against white-collar crime and outlines several research projects to enhance police effectiveness in this area.
Abstract
A review of specific contributions that police can make to the containment of white-collar crime emphasizes their abilities to collect information for investigative or intelligence purposes. Police involvement would also show the public that law enforcement agencies consider white-collar crime a serious problem, assure that criminal remedies are not neglected, and bring additional resources to investigating organized criminals' infiltration of legitimate business. Types of white-collar crime that police are likely to detect are detailed, such as insurance fraud based on staged automobile accidents and burglaries, consumer frauds, and environmental safety. Because police officers are often the first persons to hear citizen complaints, research projects are suggested which assess the validity of victims' complaints and the abilities of the police to act as an investigative rather than referral agency. The practicality of involving police in white-collar crime work and officers' motivation are then addressed, beginning with the recommendation that patrol officers are seldom busy during the daylight shifts between Monday and Thursday and could devote this time to white-collar crime. Research projects to determine police officers' attitudes toward white-collar crime are then described, followed by a discussion of the ways in which police agencies can be organized to function most effectively in the white-collar crime field. Possible research programs include training materials for patrol officers, a systems analysis of the relationship between white-collar crime detective units and patrol officers, a checklist for evaluating the fruitfulness of an investigation, the use of civilian consultants, and computerized information systems. Methods to evaluate performance and effectiveness are also examined. Finally, the value of strategic intelligence in helping police anticipate probable areas of white-collar crime is considered and illustrated with a case example. A list of 24 references is provided.