Criminology and criminal justice discipline are evolving and becoming more technologically oriented. As such, the FBI remains the United Stares’ foremost law enforcement organization. The FBI has evolved into a competent crime prevention organization since its inception in 1908. The organization has always been at the forefront in preventing and fighting against crime. The entity has been focusing on preventing violent crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, missing persons, and other related crimes. However, the advent of technology and other forms of crime has changed the way people execute crimes. As such, there is a need for the FBI to expand its scope to accommodate technology.

FBI and Crime Prevention

Criminology and criminal justice discipline are evolving and becoming more technologically oriented. As such, the FBI remains the United Stares’ foremost law enforcement organization. The FBI has evolved into a competent crime prevention organization since its inception in 1908. The organization has always been at the forefront in preventing and fighting against crime. The entity has been focusing on preventing violent crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, missing persons, and other related crimes. However, the advent of technology and other forms of crime has changed the way people execute crimes. As such, there is a need for the FBI to expand its scope to accommodate technology.

In my opinion, the FBI should focus on organized crimes and cybercrimes. Organized crime was once defined by hierarchical groups, or families, that wielded power over criminal operations in communities, cities, or states. However, organized crime has evolved considerably over the years. Transnational and multibillion-dollar operations are currently run from start to end by transnational criminal corporations. “Modern criminal organizations engage in traditional organized criminal activities such as extortion, murder and modern criminal activities such as cyber-facilitated bank fraud, drug trafficking, identity theft, human trafficking, public corruption, and kidnapping, among others” (Wray). Most of these organized crimes take advantage of legal banking and business services to store or move cash from criminal proceeds. Therefore, the FBI should focus on ensuring that such crimes have been minimized and perpetrators nabbed. 

The greatest threat faced by America result from lone actors who are products on online radicalization. They are often known as homegrown violent extremists who often collaborate with foreign terrorist organizations to commit crimes in different parts of the country. Many of these domestic and worldwide violent extremists are motivated and inspired by a combination of ideological, sociopolitical, and personal grievances against their targets, which have recently included huge public gatherings, institutions of worship, and marketplaces (Wray). Lone actors, who are unlikely to collaborate with others on their plans, are increasingly targeting these soft, familiar targets for their assaults, reducing law enforcement’s ability to detect and stop them before involving in terrorist activities.

Notably, various organizations posing the biggest threat to the United States include African Transnational Organized Crime Groups, the Asian Transnational Organized Crime Groups, Balkan Transnational Organized Crime Groups, Eurasian Transnational Organized Crime Groups, and the Italian organized crime (Wray). These groups have constantly engaged in activities that could jeopardize the country’s operations.  The Italian organized crime groups have infiltrated the United States through the La Cosa Nostra and often engage in a series of criminal activities meant harm US citizens. Some of the most common activities associated with such groups include murder, loan sharking, corruption, stock manipulation, and pornography, among others. Unlike other organized crime organizations, the La Cosa Nostra, which emerged from the Sicilian Mafia, is one of the most serious organized criminal activities against American civilization. It translates to “this item of ours” in English and is a nationwide union of criminals who are related by blood or by conspiracy and are devoted to pursuing crime and defending its members. The FBI must ensure that adequate response, investigation, and decision-making is made to suppress or eliminate the activities of this group as it could have negative ramifications on the economy. Even so, the FBI should not only dwell on this group but also ensure that other organizations engaged in organized crimes have been countered.

                                  Works Cited

Wray, Christopher. “FBI Director Outlines Threats from Transnational Organized Crime”. The Mob Museum, 2020, https://themobmuseum.org/blog/fbi-director-outlines-threats-from-transnational-organized-crime/ (Links to an external site.).

Wray, Christopher. “Worldwide Threats to The Homeland — FBI”. Fbi.Gov, 2020, https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/worldwide-threats-to-the-homeland-092420.

 ReplyReply to Comment

Kami Sherpa

Hi,

I agree with you that organized crimes have evolved over the years and criminals groups are taking advantage of modern technology to operate their criminal activities. Criminal organization’s financial activities and transaction have been always on FBI’s radar. Many organized criminal groups have started accepting crypto currency as ransom.  The FBI must expand its operation to track down crypto currency transaction as well.

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Ryan Wallace

Hi

Why do you think many lone wolf terrorists ‘fall through the cracks’ of the judicial system?

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Stacey Hervey

Hi

Do you think there are investigative ways to combat lone wolves?

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Kasandra Lopez

Hey, Great detailed post! I loved how you went into detail about what type of organized crime. I was asking myself the whole time while reading what type of organized crime. I agree that transnational crime is a big right now due to all the cyber hacks recently. It really can affect the U.S economy