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INVESTIGATION OF WHITE COLLAR CRIME - A MANUAL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

NCJ Number
40553
Author(s)
H Edelhertz; E STOTLAND; M WALSH; M WEINBERG
Date Published
1977
Length
393 pages
Annotation
THIS MANUAL WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE USE OF THOSE WHO INVESTIGATE WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND RELATED ABUSES AND TO ASSIST THOSE WHO SUPERVISE AND MUST INTERACT WITH INVESTIGATORS IN THIS FIELD.
Abstract
IT IS DESIGNED TO ORIENT NEW ORGANIZATIONS AS TO WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SUCCESSFULLY SET UP AND OPERATE AN ORGANIZATION WHICH INVESTIGATES WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND TO PROVIDE AN INVENTORY OF STRATEGIES, TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES WHICH WILL HELP BOTH NEW AND ALREADY ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF THEIR OPERATIONS. THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS MANUAL GOES FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC. FIRST IT DEALS WITH THE BASIC ISSUE OF WHAT WHITE-COLLAR CRIME IS, WHY IT IS A PROPER AREA FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, AND WHAT ITS IMPACT IS ON INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESS, AND THE GENERAL COMMUNITY. AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ELEMENTS, CHARACTERISTICS, OFFENDER MOTIVATIONS, RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER CRIME AREAS, AND REMEDIES ARE DISCUSSED AT SOME LENGTH--FOR THE LIGHT THEY SHED ON BOTH THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR AND PROPER METHODS OF RESPONDING TO THESE CRIMES AND THE ABUSES RELATED TO THEM. FROM THERE THE MANUAL GOES ON TO DISCUSS THE KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE REQUIRED TO EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH WHITE-COLLAR CRIME, AND FACTORS SUCH AS THE FORM OF ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS, INTERFACES OF UNIT ACTIVITY WITHIN AGENCIES AND EXTERNALLY, PERSONNEL SELECTION, AND THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE IN A WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ENFORCEMENT EFFORT. HAVING THUS SET THE STAGE FOR ACTION, THE ELEMENTS OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ARE THEN ANALYZED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING HOW THE INVESTIGATOR CAN IDENTIFY AND TARGET THE KINDS OF INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE HE WILL NEED IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT HIS CASE. ONCE THIS IS DONE IT BECOMES RELEVANT TO GO INTO DETAIL AS TO HOW THE INVESTIGATOR SHOULD PROCEED TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE, FOR EXAMPLE BY SEARCHES FOR DOCUMENTATION, FINDING AND INTERVIEWING VICTIMS AND WITNESSES, AND INTERROGATION OF SUSPECTS. ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION OF THE MANUAL IS A DISCUSSION OF COMPUTERS, BOTH AS A TOOL USED BY THE WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINAL IN COMMITTING HIS CRIMES AND AS AN INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCE FOR USE BY THE INVESTIGATOR TO UNRAVEL AND PROVE A CASE. THE MAIN PART OF THE MANUAL CONCLUDES WITH A DISCUSSION OF EVALUATION OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME EFFORTS, NOT MERELY AS A BASIS FOR JUDGING SUCCESS OR FAILURE BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS AN AID TO SETTING GOALS AND PRIORITIES, AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR GUIDING AND STEERING AGENCY OR UNIT OPERATIONS AND AS A BASIS FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION. THE APPENDIXES ARE ADDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING MORE SPECIFIC FORMS OF EXPERTISE AND ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO SUCH MATTERS AS TRAINING INVESTIGATORS, READILY IDENTIFYING THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION NEEDED IN WHITE-COLLAR CRIME INVESTIGATIONS, FOLLOWING FINANCIAL TRAILS, AND DIRECTING THE READER (BY USE OF A SELECTED GLOSSARY OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES NUMERICALLY KEYED TO AN ORGANIZED BIBLIOGRAPHY) TO SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION ON WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ISSUES, VICTIMS, AND SPECIFIC OFFENSES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)