CONTROL AGENCIES INDICATE THAT THEIR MISSION IN DEALING WITH BUSINESS CRIMINALS IS COMPROMISED BY LACK OF FUNDS AND STAFF, WEAK PENAL SANCTIONS, INADEQUATE LEGISLATION, AND MISPERCEPTIONS OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ITSELF. ALSO, EACH SPECIALIZED AGENCY SEEMS MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH STRENGTHENING ITS PARTICULAR FUNCTION AND GAINING RECOGNITION THAN IN IMPROVING ITS EFFECTIVENESS. HOWEVER, THE AGENCIES AGREE THAT MORE SEVERE MEASURES AGAINST WHITE-COLLAR CRIME ARE REQUIRED. LOCAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND UNION REPRESENTATIVES VIEW WHITE-COLLAR CRIME FROM EITHER (1) A BROAD VIEW OF ITS SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING THE MANIPULATION OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM FOR PERSONAL GAIN; OR (2) A PERCEPTION OF THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM ENCOMPASSING THE CLASSIC IDEAS OF VIOLATION, EXPLOITATION, AND BENDING OF EXISTING LAWS. FOR BOTH GROUPS, HOWEVER, THE NOTION OF BUSINESS CRIME IS VERY NEW, WITH THE WORD 'CRIME' SEEMING TOO STRONG. THEY THINK WHITE-COLLAR CRIME IS PERPETRATED BY SWINDLERS WHO CAN INFILTRATE THE BUSINESS WORLD BECAUSE 'MORALITY' HAS DISAPPEARED, IS FAVORED BY ECONOMIC PRESSURE WHICH CAUSES SOME COMPANIES TO CHEAT, OR A POLITICOECONOMIC NECESSITY. HOWEVER, LOCAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND UNIONS EMPHASIZE THAT THE PENAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE MORE SEVERE IN PROSECUTING SUCH CRIME. THE MEDIA'S COVERAGE OF LOCAL BUSINESS CRIME WHICH IS RARE TREATS IT EITHER AS A 'SCANDAL,' BY ESTABLISHING A SCAPEGOAT WHO IS CONSIDERED RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE MATTER AND LABELING THE APPREHENSION OF THE OFFENDER AS THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE RESPONSIBLE CONTROL AGENCY; OR AS 'THE AFFAIR,' BY VIEWING THE CONTROL AGENCY AS INTERVENING PREMATURELY OR INADEQUATELY AND LIMITING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OFFENSE SO AS TO PRESERVE THE REPUTATION OF THOSE INDICATED. OVERALL, WHITE-COLLAR CRIME APPEARS TO BE A NEW AND PRIVILEGED AREA THAT CHALLENGES THE PUBLIC'S CONCEPT OF BOTH SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES AND THE BUSINESS WORLD. FOR AN ENGLISH SUMMARY TRANSLATION, SEE NCJ-59507. --IN FRENCH. (MHP)