Thinking Locally, Acting Globally

• NCJ Number: 203534
• Journal: Crime & Justice International Volume: 19 Issue: 77 Dated: November/December 2003 Pages: 17-18
• Author(s): Jurg Gerber
• Date Published: November 2003
• Length: 2 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the crimes of auto theft, Internet fraud, and prostitution that have been historically local in nature and that are now becoming transnational, and the need to understand their transnational nature and that any prevention or prosecution efforts must also be transnational.

Abstract

Law enforcement officers in the past could afford to see crime as local in nature, as well as the solutions to crime being local in nature, thereby being ignorant of other nations or even other jurisdictions. However, there are some forms of crime that are transnational by definition. This article focuses on three crimes that have not been transnational by definition; they include: auto theft, Internet fraud, and prostitution. Historically, auto theft has been a local crime with cars owned locally. They were stolen by local criminals, and typically, if they were sold, they were acquired by local or regional buyers. There was little need for police to expand their investigations beyond the local area. However, if the car is transported to a foreign country or a different continent, the crime is no longer local. Fraud or theft by false pretenses has existed for many years. Investigating and prosecuting an Internet-based transnational scam is more difficult than the traditional local scam with the absence of international agreements. Lastly, prostitution, referred to as the oldest profession in the world, has historically been viewed as a local crime. Over recent years, this has changed dramatically, where the form of prostitution involving female prostitutes and male customers has become increasingly transnational. Women and sometimes children are moved from their native countries to foreign areas. The examples of auto theft, Internet fraud, and prostitution indicate that law enforcement can no longer afford to be ignorant of other nations and the crimes having a transnational component. In dealing with auto theft, Internet fraud, and prostitution in prevention or prosecution efforts there must be a transnational component.