Pursuing Criminal Syndicates, Term Paper Example

Terrorism is a serious problem in the world today. Terrorism is not a new problem but has become more troubling in recent years thanks to the advancements in weaponry and government structures. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as the “unlawful use of force against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”(Peak, pg. 393) After the tragedy of September 11, it established the needs for better planning and leadership during crisis situations, but it increased the public’s concern and fears about security necessary for keeping the US safe.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) divides the current international terrorist threat into three categories, such as international terrorism, formalized terrorist groups, and radical extremists. Terrorism takes many forms and does not always require such devices as weapons. Biological terrorism may be one of the hardest forms of terrorism to prevent. The acts of bioterrorism are among the most used because the risks are minimal, and the level of damage can be dangerous. Examples of bioterrorism acts are the contamination of food sources, use of airborne toxins to commit bodily harm, and other terrorist acts that cause life threatening damage. According to the CDC. The best defense against bioterrorism is to be prepared. All emergency personnel have to work together and alert the proper personnel if terrorist’s threats are detected. The CDC has five key areas of interest, “prevention, and detection finding the source, responding, and communication, by using these tactics the CDC can help prevent a massive outbreak.” (CDC, 2000)

Terrorist groups vary in size and culture, each terrorist group shares a common denominator, they are trying to make a statement. Many categories or groups of terrorist exist with a reported 55 groups of organizations that classify as terrorists by the Center of Defense Information (CDI) Terrorism Project. The motivations to why these groups exist vary. As most terrorist groups view government as their main focus of concern. In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2000, the United States federal government implemented changes to its procedures. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was founded to aid in the battle against national and worldwide terrorist threats. The Department of Homeland Security has been controversial since its start, but the department is crucial to keeping Americans safe. Working closely with U.S. Customs and the Border Patrol agencies the DHS helps keep the threat of terrorist penetration to a minimum. DHS is primarily responsible for alerting the nation to any and all terrorist threats made against the nation.

A way that police have set up to address acts of terrorism is the National Incident Management System. According to Peak there are four main ways in dealing with terrorists organizations: “1. Gathering raw intelligence on the organization’s structure, its members, and its

plans (or potential for the use of violence) 2. Determining what measures can be taken to counter or thwart terrorist activities. 3. Assessing how the damage caused by terrorists can be minimized through rapid response and containment of the damage. 4. Apprehending and convicting individual terrorists and dismantling their organizations.”(Peak, pg. 395) The National Incident Command Center is part of FEMA’s initiative to address all types of incidents and used on any level of government including local and federal. It is the standard approach that, “Allows for the integration of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure.”(FEMA, n.d) The new departments in the Department of Homeland Security includes, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard. (DHS, n.d) Preserving the nation’s freedoms by creating an educated and unified national effort that is a mission the DHS serves to protect. Serving as a communicator, the DHS helps all agencies; local, state and federal, stay on the same page (DHS, n.d). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and maintains FEMA’s attempts to cut down on the loss of property or one’s life through preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery. The directorate develops and manages an organized structure to create a course of studies, reward performance in training attempts, measure, and set standards. It focuses on risk mitigation by promoting disaster-resistant communities, and leads Homeland Security to respond to any radiological or biological attack (Bullock, Haddow, Copolla, Ergin, Westermann, and Yeletaysi, 2006).

A number of legislative measures that combat terrorism include the US Patriot Act that was implemented soon after the September 11 tragedies that gave the government permission to investigate American citizens through methods of wiretapping, spying, and other means. It also gave the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions with foreign entities.(Peak, pg.397) Another legislative measure was the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) “the president is authorized to establish military commissions to try unlawful enemy combatants, the commissions are authorized to sentence defendants to death….”(Peak, pg.398) This act stripped many of the detainees of their rights under the Geneva Convention and also the right to habeas corpus in court. The act gave freedom to the CIA to interrogate detainees by almost any means necessary including the lack or use of torture. Before the events on September 11, the military and the government had in place the Posse Comitatus of 1878 that had banned “the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines from participating in arrests, searches, seizure of evidence and other police-type activity on U.S. soil, with the exception of the US Coast Guards and National Guard troops.”(DOJ, n.d) There is an intelligence process in place that follows six steps including, planning and direction, collection, processing and evaluation, analysis, dissemination, and reevaluation. The levels of intelligence include, level 1 being the highest including High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Intelligence Support Centers, and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen). Level 2 is police agencies that use tactical and strategic intelligence, Level 3 is the most common and includes hundreds of sworn employees and law enforcement, and Level 4 comprises most agencies that have a few dozen employees or so.

Other problems that federal and law enforcement agencies must deal within the United States include the Mob, Gangs, and Drug Trafficking. In order to combat local terrorists or mobs, the FBI has teamed up with the local law enforcement to form (JTTF) Joint Terrorism Task Force to respond to the threats that local mobs and street gangs cause to communities. Peak defines organized crimes as, “organized crimes as the management and coordination of illegal

Enterprises connected with vice (gambling, prostitution, high-interest personal loans, pornography, and drug trafficking) and racketeering (labor and business extortion).”(Peak, pg.403) The oldest and most profitable organized criminal syndicate organization is the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) also known as the Mafia. La Cosa Nostra was formed in 20’s and 30’s and had went unaddressed, due in part to the denial of the FBI director, J.Edgar Hoover, until the 1960’s when law enforcement decided to crack down on criminal organizations instead of just the crimes. They have been involved in crimes such as, kidnapping, loan sharking, money laundering, narcotics, smuggling, killing for hire, and other crimes. (Peaks, pg. 405) The four organizations that make up the La Cosa Nostra are the Sicilian Mafia, Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unita’ (United Sacred Crown) including 24 families, with the main five, the Bonanno, the Colombo, the Genovese, the Gambino, and the Lucchese families. The methods for combatting the LCN included surveillance, witness protection, the RICO act that has been the most powerful tool that helps with Racketeering, and other criminal penalties levied other serious crimes.

Street Gangs are another criminal organization that has run rampart in the United States that have exploded into hundreds of local communities and neighborhoods. The response to disassembling the gangs has been slow since the start, with many murders and crimes being unreported and unsolved. Many cities and states have created tasks forces to solve the graffiti problems where gangs “tag” buildings and other structures with their own symbols and signs. The FBI and local law enforcement have once again teamed up to combat these problems including the MS-13 National Gang Task Force to solve the problems of one of the most hardcore gangs from Columbia, El Salvador, and Mexico. Not only have tasks force been formed to solve gang problems but also the problems that come along including drug trafficking in and out the United States. Traffickers and terrorists have tied relations that might benefit from terrorist organizations’ security assurances while the terrorists can funnel drug money for operations.”(Peak, pg. 413) Traffickers and terrorisms both recruit youths that are dissatisfied with the current government or other social orders. The police response to both of these problems have started off slow however, there have been progress with Border Patrol, FBI, CIA, DEA, and other agencies that help try to stop illegal smuggling and trafficking of guns, drugs, and members of gang activity. More needs to be done however since the fight on drug trafficking has been a losing battle, and the prevalence of gang violence continues throughout inner-cities and communities.

References

Biological and Chemical Terrorism: Strategic Plan for Preparedness and Response. (2000) CDC. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4904a1.htm

Incident Command System. (n.d). FEMA. Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/incident-command-system

Homeland Security. (2007) DHS. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/topic/preventing-terrorism-overview

Peak, Ken J. Policing America: Challenges & Best Practices, 7th Edition. (2011). Prentice Hall

Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, (n.d). US Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.dojgov.net/posse_comitatus_act.htm