Organized crime often goes by undetected from the general public, as it is not eagerly shown on the televised news. It is also generally thought of as a victimless crime (Danis, Module 1, Slide 1), but this is unfortunately not the case. Organized crime affects the lives of many; whether it is directly or indirectly, innocent people suffer from illegal activities performed by criminals in the mafia or biker gangs, for example. To further expand on the previous point, it is important to note that during a recent biker gang war there were many recorded murders, attempted murders, bombings, missing persons cases, and arson cases (Danis, Module 1, Slide 11). However, the consequences that arise from gang activities are certainly not limited to
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Some are used in courts of law; others are simply theorized by scholars. There are also theoretical definitions, which we will consider for the following analysis. The theoretical definition of organized crime that best fits my situation is Abadinsky’s definition for several reasons, which we will go over by comparing the selected theory alongside the Hells Angels’ organizational structure. Based on Abadinsky’s definition, in order for an enterprise to be considered an organized crime group, it must be non-ideological, hierarchical, have limited or exclusive membership, perpetuate itself, exhibit willingness to use illegal violence and bribery, demonstrate specialization/division of labor, and be monopolistic (Danis, Module 1, Slide 20). To start off, the Hells Angels are non-ideological because they do not engage in crime solely for political reasons like terrorist groups do, for example. Next, they are hierarchical because they function based on a vertical power structure, which includes but is not limited to the following positions enumerated in no particular order: President, Vice-President, Sergeant at arms, Secretary, Treasurer, Associates, etc. (Organization of a typical Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, Module 3, Slide 11). Thirdly, the Hells Angels have exclusive membership. If someone wants to become a member, he must find a member to sponsor him and be responsible for his behavior throughout the process (Danis, Module 11, Slide 12). He will spend a year at 3 different stages (friend, “hangaround”, prospect) requiring a unanimous vote by the members of a chapter in order to move up from each. Next, the Hells Angels perpetuates itself, which means that it does not depend on any one member to sustain itself. It continues to function even after a member dies. Someone else simply takes over, which is not the case for a group of robbers, for example, which is why they would not be considered an organized crime group. In
Some are used in courts of law; others are simply theorized by scholars. There are also theoretical definitions, which we will consider for the following analysis. The theoretical definition of organized crime that best fits my situation is Abadinsky’s definition for several reasons, which we will go over by comparing the selected theory alongside the Hells Angels’ organizational structure. Based on Abadinsky’s definition, in order for an enterprise to be considered an organized crime group, it must be non-ideological, hierarchical, have limited or exclusive membership, perpetuate itself, exhibit willingness to use illegal violence and bribery, demonstrate specialization/division of labor, and be monopolistic (Danis, Module 1, Slide 20). To start off, the Hells Angels are non-ideological because they do not engage in crime solely for political reasons like terrorist groups do, for example. Next, they are hierarchical because they function based on a vertical power structure, which includes but is not limited to the following positions enumerated in no particular order: President, Vice-President, Sergeant at arms, Secretary, Treasurer, Associates, etc. (Organization of a typical Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, Module 3, Slide 11). Thirdly, the Hells Angels have exclusive membership. If someone wants to become a member, he must find a member to sponsor him and be responsible for his behavior throughout the process (Danis, Module 11, Slide 12). He will spend a year at 3 different stages (friend, “hangaround”, prospect) requiring a unanimous vote by the members of a chapter in order to move up from each. Next, the Hells Angels perpetuates itself, which means that it does not depend on any one member to sustain itself. It continues to function even after a member dies. Someone else simply takes over, which is not the case for a group of robbers, for example, which is why they would not be considered an organized crime group. In