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Organized Crime in a Europe of Permeable Borders

NCJ Number
131475
Journal
Kriminalist Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 10-20
Author(s)
H Kernenbach
Date Published
1991
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The article summarizes the speeches of international crime experts at the Bundeskriminalambt (BKA) fall convention and presents an informative survey of the organized crime situation in Europe.
Abstract
The organized crime problem in Western Europe is growing; not only do national crime organizations such as the Italian Camorra spread beyond their borders, but they also find new offenses to control -- for example, organized car thefts, check fraud, and drug trading. Europe has become part of an organized international network that will be the crime problem of the 1990's. Since the growing integration of Europe and the removal of border controls will undoubtedly encourage more organized crime, the need for a comprehensive preventive and repressive program emerges. Although different detailed measures are discussed for each organized crime offense, general features of a preventive program include improving international cooperation and fostering police awareness. At the same time, individual countries must strive to assess their organized crime problem; especially, Germany must ascertain the extent of organized crime in East Germany and must stay abreast of the rapidly changing crime situation.