Crime - Mystery Novels by P. L. Gaus, Linda Castillo, Harry Dolan, Colin Cotterill and Lars Kepler

Once women got tired of being cast as helpless victims in crime novels and began running their own investigative agencies, authors had to scramble for other marginalized groups requiring the services of a detective hero. For more than a decade, P. L. Gaus has been writing quietly spellbinding mysteries about one such group, the conservative Old Order Amish of Holmes County, Ohio. Returning to the region in the seventh installment of his series, HARMLESS AS DOVES (Ohio University, $24.95), Gaus offers a sensitive account of the impact on this community when outsiders (that is, the cops) descend to deal with an Amish youth who has confessed to the murder of his fiancée’s older, richer and very persistent admirer.

Gaus takes an evenhanded approach to the conflicting values of the otherworldly Plain People, who travel by horse and buggy and shun electricity on their farms, as well as intruders from “the modern world of gadgets.” But he also writes with feeling about the dissension within the Amish community whenever unruly human passions threaten its members’ pacifist principles.

Holmes County is also the setting for Linda Castillo’s more conventional procedural mysteries featuring Kate Burkholder, an Amish-born (but excommunicated) chief of police who feels torn between two cultures whenever her job takes her back to the old community. Kate’s divided loyalties make her a sympathetic narrator in BREAKING SILENCE (Minotaur, $24.99) when three members of an Amish family are found dead in the manure pit of their pig farm, a tragedy she fears may be related to a recent rash of hate crimes. Kate seems a competent if sentimental cop, and for some reason her banal, clichéd interrogations don’t incite the plain-spoken Amish to drive her off with pitchforks.

David Loogan, the personable amateur sleuth in Harry Dolan’s first crime novel, “Bad Things Happen,” finds himself entangled in another literary murder case in VERY BAD MEN (Amy Einhorn/Putnam, $25.95). As the editor of a mystery magazine called Gray Streets, Loogan is used to dealing with peculiar authors. But when a killer drops off a manuscript in which he confesses to one murder and thoughtfully provides the next name on his hit list, Loogan feels compelled to horn in on the investigation headed by his girlfriend, a detective on the police force in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Although the dynamic of this relationship is fairly bland, the characterization of the killer is more inspired. Anthony Lark suffers from synesthesia, a rare condition that causes him to perceive written words as having color and movement. He can read most crime stories without difficulty because of their simple language, but ornate writing styles leave him queasy, and adverbs, which “swarmed like marching ants,” make his skin crawl.

If Lark could actually read this convoluted account of his mad mission to rectify the unjust outcome of a 17-year-old robbery, the killer might indeed be seeing red. That reaction would have less to do with Dolan’s language, which is clean and crisp, than with his excessive use of plot twists, character reversals and irrelevant clues — devices that, like adverbs, should be used sparingly by writers who don’t want to find themselves on some crazy reader’s hit list.

It’s a fact of crime fiction that social misfits make the best amateur detectives. That’s certainly true of the endearing sleuth of Colin Cotterill’s first mystery series, Dr. Siri Paiboun, an aged pathologist who is amused and appalled to find himself one of the last surviving free-­thinking intellectuals in 1970s Communist Laos. In KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT (Minotaur, $24.99), Cotterill expands on his outsider theme with a beguiling new series set in contemporary Thailand. His scrappy young heroine, Jimm Juree, feels the sting of social alienation when her mother’s impulsive decision to buy a shabby resort on the Gulf of Thailand forces a move south from Chiang Mai, dashing Jimm’s dreams of becoming the local paper’s first-string crime reporter.

Stuck in this rural backwater, where southerners dislike northerners and northerners scorn southerners and everyone hates the Chinese, Jimm can identify with the lonely stand of evergreen trees she spies growing here in the tropics: “I wondered if they had dreams of snow.” Luckily for her, two drifters from a bygone era suddenly surface when a workman digs up a 1972 Volkswagen camper with their skeletons inside. Now that’s something you don’t often see up north, a hint that Jimm’s life in the south is going to be much more interesting than she thought.

Don’t believe the hype about THE HYPNOTIST (Sarah Crichton/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27), a calculating thriller by two Swedish authors writing as Lars Kepler. This lengthy story of a spree killer who wipes out three members of a family in a murderous rage and the discredited hypnotist who comes out of professional exile to help catch him does contain strokes of good writing (“Josef had a particular smell about him, a smell of rage, of burning chemicals,” in Ann Long’s blunt translation). And the maniac of the piece is certainly an eye-­catching villain. But the dislocations in time, glib psychology and repetitious depiction of guts and gore create more discomfort than tension. For genuinely stylish sadism, stick to Stieg Larsson; for cruelty executed with true cunning, read Jo Nesbo; and if ponderous philosophizing is called for, no one can beat Henning Mankell.

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Central American migrants run gauntlet of Mexican crime

MEXICO CITY, Jul 20 (IPS) - Miguel, a 32-year-old Nicaraguan, and his wife have spent several days at a shelter for migrants in the southwest Mexican state of Oaxaca, where they fled after being robbed, extorted and threatened by corrupt municipal police and youth gang members.

"The police robbed me and the gang members are demanding 2,000 dollars for each of us, to let us continue on our way, and if we don't pay they say they'll keep my wife and only let me go," Miguel (not his real name), who is from the central Nicaraguan city of Matagalpa, told IPS by phone from the town of Ixtepec.

On their way to Nicaragua to get Miguel's birth certificate, passport and other documents, he and his 20-year-old Honduran wife were robbed of their belongings by municipal police in the towns of Orizaba and Mendoza, in the southeastern state of Veracruz.

When they made it to Ixtepec, they were threatened by members of the Mara Salvatrucha, one of the main youth gangs terrorising Central America, southern Mexico and the United States, and sought refuge in the "Hermanos en el Camino" shelter for migrants.

Stories like this have become run-of-the-mill among Central American migrants making the dangerous trek northwards through Mexico to try to cross the U.S. border.

And this is the grim outlook that Felipe González, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families, will be informed of when he reaches Mexico for a Jul. 25-Aug. 2 fact-finding visit.

"We are going to bring up a number of issues that we have identified as the most pressing concerns," Fabienne Venet, director of the Institute of Dissemination of Studies on Migration (INEDIM), told IPS.

These include "the securitisation of migration, the lack of coordination between federal and local security forces, and human rights violations," she added.

González, a Chilean IACHR commissioner, will meet with Mexican authorities and representatives of international bodies and civil society. He also plans to visit the states of Tamaulipas in the northeast and Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas in the south.

Some 500,000 undocumented migrants from Central and South America cross Mexico every year in their attempt to reach the United States, according to estimates from experts and NGOs. Along the way, they face the risk of arbitrary arrest, extortion, theft, assault, rape, kidnapping and murder at the hands of the police and criminal organisations.

Undocumented migrants cross the porous border between Mexico and Guatemala and ride what is known as the "train of death" from southern to northeast Mexico, through the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tamaulipas. The Mexican government has identified 25 municipalities that are particularly dangerous for migrants along the way.

There are only two million legal immigrants in this country of 112 million people, according to official figures. Of that total, only 24,000 are Central Americans, who mainly use the country as a transit point or work here illegally.

Between January and May, 27,410 Central Americans – mainly Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans – were deported from Mexico, according to the National Migration Institute.

A group of organisations that work on behalf of migrants' rights will deliver a report to González, protesting the aggressive treatment that undocumented migrants receive at the hands of the Mexican government and its agents, the vulnerability of the defenders of their rights, and the impunity enjoyed by those who prey on the undocumented.

"We want to denounce the harassment and violence of which we, like the migrants themselves, are victims because of our work providing assistance to migrants," Leticia Gutiérrez, a nun who heads the Mexican Catholic bishops' human mobility ministry, told IPS.

The ministry runs 54 shelters and soup kitchens that cater to undocumented migrants in Mexico.

The ministry's staff and shelters have received death threats from both organised crime and the authorities, and have reported that their electric generators have been sabotaged, their electricity cut off, and their windows broken.

The shelters at greatest risk are in Ixtepec, the southeastern town of Tenosique, on the border with Guatemala, and the northern towns of Saltillo and Piedras Negras, on the U.S. border.

Since 2010, kidnappings of undocumented migrants have soared, with dire consequences. In August of that year, the bodies of 72 migrants, most of them Central Americans, were found near a ranch in Tamaulipas state, where they had been murdered by members of Los Zetas, a drug cartel that is heavily involved in the kidnapping for ransom racket.

In December, another 40 undocumented persons were kidnapped in Oaxaca, and disappeared without a trace. Another group of at least 80 mostly Central American migrants were kidnapped in late June in Veracruz; again, their location is unknown.

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) says 20,000 migrants were kidnapped in 2010. Ransom demands were between 1,500 and 5,000 dollars per person, according to the Commission.

This year there have been at least seven cases of attacks on defenders of migrants' rights, compared to two documented between October 2009 and October 2010, according to human rights groups.

"The situation is complicated. The police are in cahoots with organised crime. We are waiting to see what happens; I have no idea how we're going to get out of here," said Miguel, who has asked the Nicaraguan embassy in Mexico for help.

The migrant rights organisations are calling for the creation of a centralised data bank on missing people and unidentified bodies; a system for states to share information; and access by victims' families to this information.

They are also calling for a programme to address the lack of investigation of crimes against migrants and the impunity surrounding such crimes, and they want the IACHR Tapporteur on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families to play an active role in following up on the Mexican government's compliance with recommendations made by the IACHR and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

"The blame cannot only be put on organised crime, and the Mexican government should assume responsibility in the context of its international commitments to protect migrants and guarantee their rights," said Venet. "We are going to ask (the rapporteur) to push for a new approach, focused on the safety of migrants."

"We are caught in the crossfire, between organised crime and the government, and trying not to make them our enemies. We want the government to have instruments to address migration issues in terms of development and to recognise the efforts of those of us who work day to day with migrants," said Gutiérrez.

*More from OneWorld

» International Migration Guide

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Read these News stories

7:20am Saturday 23rd July 2011

A concert aimed at combating the spread of gang culture is being backed by stars from the worlds of music and football.

The sixth annual Peace Concert, which is expected to be attended by up to 800 youths, aims to promote an alternative for many South London youths who find themselves facing a life of violence and crime.

A range of public figures will attend the event including Damilola Taylor's cousin Chris Preddie, the mother of Andre Smartt-Ford, the teenager murdered inside Streatham Ice ink in 2007, and rapper Dreddy Kruger. Mayor Boris Johnson may also attend the event and England Footballer Jermaine Defoe has sent a video message in support.

The event, organised by support group Storm Empowerment, will include live music, educational stalls and speeches from the guests. Speakers will discuss the impact of gun and knife crime and solutions to the growing threat of gang culture.

Marie Hanson, founder of Storm Empowerment and the event, said: "It's for Children to be aware of the dangers of knife and gun crime and to put alternatives in place. It's about empowering the young people."

The event will be held on Thursday August 4, at Wandsworth Town Hall from 3pm to 10pm.

For tickets email stormempowerment@hotmail.co.uk

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Stories for Summer: Safety issue, by Peter Robinson

In the fourth of six stories for summer, Peter Robinson follows the investigation of a brutal, apparently senseless murder.

* * * * *

“This is usually such a quiet neighbourhood,” mused Detective Sergeant Stephen Banco. “The worst you get is a few local high-school kids cutting loose on a Friday night after too many Mike’s Hard Lemonades. But an old lady, beaten to death in her home.…” He shook his head.

“Times are changing,” said the first officer on the scene.

Banco sighed. He was standing on a typical Toronto porch in a typical upmarket street. Inside the house, Mrs. Eleanor McClelland, widow, lay dead in her kitchen.

A parking enforcement car pulled up across the street. The driver got out and walked over to the porch. One of the police constables at the end of the path tried to stop him, but Banco waved him through. In his experience, parking officers could be useful sources of information.

The man strutted up the path, chest puffed out. He was short, Banco noticed, balding, and a little pudgy. “Can I be of any assistance?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” said Banco. “Can you?”

“My name’s Officer Whateley. Richard Whateley.” He thrust out his hand. “Call me Dick.”

We’ll see about that, Banco thought. He shook Whateley’s hand. Dead fish. “Seen anything unusual around here lately, Officer?”

Whateley scratched his head. “Just a lot of people parking where they shouldn’t when they shouldn’t. Come to think of it, though, I did spot a beat-up old Honda. A dirty yellow one. Most of the cars around here are in good condition, so you tend to notice things like that. Do you think it might have been someone casing the joint? Burglary, is it?”

“Murder,” said Banco. “This yellow Honda, I don’t suppose you got the number?”

Whateley smiled. “As a matter of fact, I did.” He touched his nose. “You get an instinct for these things in my job. I saw it parked around here a couple of times and thought it might be someone up to no good.”

“Can you give me the number?”

Whateley opened his notebook – not official issue, Banco noticed – and read out the number.

*******

The Honda belonged to a Marvin Sloane. Banco recognized the Scarborough address – high-rise, high-density city housing – and it turned out that Mr. Sloane had a criminal record for aggravated assault.

When the police tracked down the Honda, it was speeding east along the 401. The patrol car pursued it until the officers were certain it belonged to their man, then they pulled it over, annoyed at being denied a high-speed chase with the siren blaring and lights flashing. Inside, they found one black male and one tattooed white male. The cloud of marijuana smoke that hit them when the driver rolled down the window almost had them seeing visions of the Elysian Fields.

“Geez, officers. Was I driving too fast?”

*******

After two days of interrogation, Banco was close to 100-per-cent certain that Marvin Sloane and Chester Lyons were not his men. For a start, they would have stood out like penguins at a picnic in Eleanor McClelland’s neighbourhood, and nobody had reported seeing them. Also, they swore blind that they had been in Montreal on the dates in question, and their alibis checked out. Banco suspected they had been in Quebec doing a drug deal, but that wasn’t his business. He passed his suspicions on to the drug squad and cut the two loose. Short of a marijuana-possession charge, and numerous driving offences, they were guilty of nothing. The days of making sure the suspect fit the crime, and vice versa, were long gone, so it was back to the drawing board.

*******

When Banco dropped by Mrs. McClelland’s local division to do a bit of asking around, he mentioned the lead he had got from Whateley, and a couple of the cops snickered.

“What’s so funny?” Banco asked.

“This Whateley,” said one of the officers. “He’s a wannabe.”

“Wannabe?” said the other. “He thinks he’s already one of us.”

“In fact,” the divisional sergeant added, “you might say that Officer Whateley is a pain in the butt.”

“Why’s that?” Banco asked.

“He’s overzealous,” the sergeant said. “I mean, it’s one thing enforcing the parking regulations, but quite another looking for obscure ones. It’s not even as if he puts in such a huge quota, either. He tends to be a bit more specific in his targets.”

“What do you mean?”

“We get complaints. A lot them.”

“Mind if I have a look at some of these complaints?”

“Be my guest,” said the sergeant.

*******

It started with a brief exchange when Mrs. McClelland had been unloading some heavy cartons from her car outside her house, and Whateley had screeched to a halt, strutted over and told her she had five minutes or he’d tag her. Safety issue, he’d added. When she started to apologize and explain, he told her he had her number, and that was that.

Three tickets within 24 hours for being parked less than nine metres from the intersection. Banco had been a cop for 20 years, and he didn’t know you had to park more than nine metres from the intersection. He had even been to the street in question and checked; there were no signs. Three tickets for being parked in the same spot – with a legal permit – for more than seven days. This was when Mrs. McClelland had gone on a three-week cruise a couple of months ago. Banco hadn’t heard of that one, either.

Intimidation. Obsession. Harassment. Banco had come across people like Whateley before, abusers of power who got out of hand and were arrogant enough to think they could get away with it. They often did; that was the trouble. Put some people in a uniform and it warps their brains. Cross them once too often, and woe betide you.

Banco checked and found, as he suspected, that Mrs. McClelland’s complaint was the most recent of many, made only a week before her murder. Apparently, it was the last straw. Whateley had been called on the carpet in his supervisor’s office and given a dressing down of gargantuan proportions. His transfer to that area of Scarborough where Marvin Sloane and Chester Lyons lived was imminent. Afterward, he had raged to anyone who would listen about his supervisor and the miserable old bat who had dared to complain.

*******

Mrs. McClelland’s house was still a crime scene. Officer Whateley was out on his rounds, but Banco was patient. He sat in the old lady’s Muskoka chair on her deck, enjoying the afternoon sunshine, the dappled light through the trees. He knew he wouldn’t have long to wait. Sure enough, he hadn’t been there more than half an hour when the parking-enforcement car pulled up across the street and Whateley walked toward him.

“Detective,” he said. “Good to see you again. I was just wondering if you got anywhere with that lead I gave you?”

Banco stood up slowly, walked over and put his hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. “Yes,” he said. “In fact, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” It wouldn’t have been at all difficult, he knew, for a parking enforcement officer like Whateley to drive around until he spotted a decrepit old car driven by a black man and use this to play on police prejudices. What on earth did he think Banco would do? Beat a confession out of Sloane?

Banco started walking down the path to his car, hand still firmly gripping Whateley’s shoulder. “Maybe we could go down to the station and have a nice little chat about it all, hey, Dick?”

Peter Robinson’s new novel, Before the Poison, will be published in October.

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White Collar Crimes - When Do You Need to Hire an Attorney

Though there is no such perfect definition of white collar crime, the phrase is used to distinguish a number of crimes of dishonesty. These crimes generally are committed by entrepreneurs or professionals under the mask of legal business activity. Nowadays, there is a tendency toward tougher penalty for white collar crimes.

White collar crime can be charged in different ways dependent on the illegal activity. Some criminal activities are proscribed by specific laws while others are putted on trial under one or more universal laws criminalizing deceitful behavior. Such types of crime include: false statements, embezzlement, obstruction of justice, bank fraud, bribery and federal perjury.

Failing to file a tax return or filing a fake income tax return also often charged as Tax Crimes because it is intrusive with the administration of the IRS laws. Tax elusion has been efficiently used to arrest and the criminal who have committed more grave offense but the prosecutor didn't have sufficient proof to press charges on those offenses.

Cyber Crime is another practice area of law wherein the government is continuously adding new offenses to sustain with the growth in new technology. It has been seen that, in some illicit trials, the prosecutor shows all the components of a crime but the accused person is not punished because he or she has a convincing defense.

Some defendants who was charged with white collar crimes claim trap by the government by claiming that they were persuaded to act, and would not have otherwise acted illegally. Another defense used by the contractors is that of a particular industrial acted alone without the authority of society.

The crimes can carry heavy penalties. Strategy federal sentencing includes a system for calculating penalties to be paid by the entity who commit crimes. Businesses and industries who are guilty of exploitation for criminal purposes primarily incur fines equal to their total assets.

Each state has laws that allow authorities to seize assets relating to the commission of a crime. Due to the lack of control of our government, our corporations and individuals has resulted in numerous acts of white-collar crime in both large and small. These actions have consequences for our society that will remain with this country for many years to come, if not decades.

Selecting a Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you are facing any types of criminal charges, there will two important questions arise: whether or not you will appoint a criminal lawyer, and which one you are supposed to select to best stand for you?

Depending on your circumstances and types of cases, you may be offered the public defender service, or you can opt for an experienced White Collar Crime Attorney to defend you in cases involving tax evasion and any other crimes.

Mark Hall, a legal services consultant, offers helpful tips regarding legal matters concerning criminal defense, business law and many more. If you are looking for a qualified White Collar Crime Attorney, He suggests you to visit http://www.davidmgarvin.com.

Street Crime in America

Unfortunately, street crime is still with us. Muggings, robberies, rapes and assaults are occurring at an alarming rate every day, and the financial and psychological cost of these crimes are devastating the lives of the victims. Americans have been rudely awakened from their false sense of security and they are angry and afraid. Who is committing these crimes? The majority of these crimes are committed by habitual criminals. Criminologist Marvin Wolfgang asserts that of the males born and raised in Philadelphia between 1945 and 1958, just 7 percent of each age group committed two-thirds of all violent crime.


Nationwide, law enforcement made an estimated 13,687,241 arrests (except traffic violations) in 2009. Of these arrests, 581,765 were for violent crimes and 1,728,285 were for property crimes. The arrest rate was 4,478.o arrest per 100,000 inhabitants of the total estimated United State population.
The arrest rate for violent crime (including murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) was 191.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the arrest rate for property crime (including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) was 571.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Two year arrest trends showed violent crime arrests declined 2.3 percent when compared with 2008 arrests, while property crime arrests increased 1.6 percent when compared with the 2008 arrests.
Arrest of juveniles for all offenses decreased 8.9 percent in 2009 when compared with the 2008 number; arrest of adults declined 1.2 percent.
Nearly 75 percent (74.7) of the persons arrested in the nation during 2009 were males.They accounted for 81.2 percent of persons arrested for violent crime and 62.2 percent of persons arrested for property crime.
In 2009, 69.1 percent of all persons arrested were white, 28.3 percent were black, and the remaining 2.6 percent were of other races.

Are there any answers to the question of what can be done to deter street crime? Many communities are adopting a variety of laws, procedures and practices aimed at reducing street crime.


Putting more police on the street.
Sending more criminals to prison.
Keeping criminals in prison longer.
Develop programs intended to deter crime.

Many people are choosing to take responsibility for their own safety in a variety of ways, some are choosing to take self-defense classes, and even more are arming themselves with self defense products like Personal Alarm and Pepper Sprays.

These products and many other products for home and travel personal safety can be seen at [http://www.cgholloway.com].

Crime Prevention Strategies As Part of Corporate Risk Management

Risk Management is part and parcel of corporate culture. It underscores and influences major decisions in organizations and should therefore be formalized. Risk management directly relates to accountability and must be enforced in all departments of an organization. By enforcing risk management, organizations stand to gain major benefits including increased bottom line results. Such benefits include:

1. Reduced damage on company property.

2. Reduced loss of working hours by staff.

3. Reduced Insurance Premiums.

4. Bigger financial savings.

5. Effective utilization of Organizational resources

6. Enhanced Communication between different departments

In order for an organization to implement an effective risk management policy, there must be a complete refocus of corporate priorities. The first step is to identify the inherent risks affecting the organization, then document the risks and finally come up with ways of preventing or stopping them. The process requires high levels of objectivity, transparency, consultation and innovation. It must therefore be treated as a high priority project and possibly, assigned to different managers for implementation.

One of the major risks affecting corporate organizations is crime. The Department of Justice estimates that over a million crimes are committed at the workplace every year. About 10% of these crimes involve offenders armed with handguns. As such, managers are required to form and implement astute crime reduction measures as part of their risk management policies.

Once you have set up a clear Crime policy, it will act as a benchmark for expected behavior and provide guidelines on how the company deals with criminal incidences. A crime policy notifies employees that specific behaviors will not be tolerated at the workplace. It forbids threats and harassment of any form and guides employees on how to report such incidences. A typical crime policy entails concerted effort and cooperation between Management and Human Resources.

A recently developed approach to Crime Prevention at the workplace entails the use of communication to prevent crime. Most workplace related crimes could have been prevented simply by effective communication between the concerned parties. Mutual communication between individuals, companies and law enforcement agencies can lead to crime prevention at the workplace.

Security companies have begun developing methods of reducing workplace related crimes and offenses through communication. This is achieved by compiling useful crime prevention data on one database, that can then be utilized by a pool of companies. The secure database is run by the security company and can be accessed selectively as and when it is needed.

All organizations must embrace Risk Management in order to operate successfully. Crime at the workplace is among the major risks facing corporate bodies in the US. It is therefore necessary for Managers to formulate effective Crime Prevention policies to protect both the Organization and the workers. One way of doing this is by signing up for database communication services offered by security companies.

Mr Joe Castaldo is a fraud expert with over 10 years experience as a law enforcement officer. Before forming IronNet Solutions, Mr. Castaldo served as a Lieutenant in Texas SWAT team.

Find out more about fraud and how to prevent it by logging onto http://www.ironnetsolutions.com

How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator - A Detailed Insight Into an Adventurous Career

Do you enjoy the thrill and challenge of being the first one to investigate a crime scene? Do you want to pursue such an exciting career but are somehow perplexed about how to become a Crime Scene Investigator?

Here is a quick reference guide that tells you all that you need to know in order to help you pursue the career of your dreams.

Overview

A Crime Scene Investigator or more popularly known as CSI is an individual whose job is to visit various crime scenes, first hand and gather all the evidence that they possibly can. Typically, their duty involves assisting the police or the local sheriff in securing and working the crime scene, followed by preserving and gathering evidence and finally transporting the evidence to the labs to search for clues.

Educational Pre-requisite

In order to become a CSI, you should at least complete a bachelor's degree either in criminal justice or physical science. However, in order to advance your career prospects, you must also obtain a master's degree followed by training as a police officer.

Thanks to the latest technological developments, you can easily avail a specialized CSI degree online for both the bachelor's and master's levels. However, apart from the basic education, learning how to become a Crime Scene Investigator also involves learning certain skills. Some of these skills include:

Ability to maintain and protect the chain of events
knowledge of exposing, photographing, and collecting latent fingerprints
Ability to use various chemicals, gadgets and technologies to collect evidence
Flexibility to work at odd hours rather than a typical 9 to 5 job as well as maintaining your diligence throughout your course of work
Capability to work well in a team as opposed to working alone
Possessing a strong stomach for blood

Duties and Responsibilities

If you want to fully understand how to become a Crime Scene Investigator, you must be well aware of the responsibilities and the various duties involved in this line of work.

Investigating the scene of crime is the first step towards solving a crime. As a CSI, you can expect a busy career, working at different hours of the day or night. A normal working day for a CSI involves being called on to the scenes of burglaries, home invasion, sexual assaults and even murders.

In such cases, you will be required to carefully assess and explore the scene of crime, take photographs, lookout for finger prints or any other traces of evidence. Once you are done with the crime scene, you will be required to write detailed reports and document your findings. Many a times, you might also be asked to analyze autopsies and at times even testify in courts.

Now that you know all there is about how to become a Crime Scene Investigator, becoming a CSI might be the right career for you if you feel that you can sustain pressure and respond calmly in face of a crisis.

Robert Miller is your guide to criminal justice careers.

For more information on how to become a Crime Scene Investigator and receive free information from criminal justice schools near you, go to http://www.criminaljusticedegreejobs.com

The Economy and Its Affect on America's Crime Rate - Past and Future

In the 1990s the crime rate in the U.S. dropped dramatically in all significant categories, including violent crime and property crime. Some experts attribute this drop to the strong economy that existed throughout most of the decade, when the per capita income increased by as much as 30% and the unemployment rate dropped by 2%[1]. These numbers have pushed many experts in the field to speculate on the potential effects that today's recessed economy will have on the crime rate for the foreseeable future.

There is no doubt that a strong economy encourages a lower crime rate, for many reasons. While many experts could not directly attribute the drop in violent crime to the increase in economic strength seen in the 1990s, they did attribute it to additional state funding for police departments and crime prevention measures. The drop in property crime, specifically theft, was directly relational to the increase in economic prosperity[2]. The indications of this study show that when citizens have the resources to provide for their needs they are less likely to turn to crime as a way of providing for themselves and their families, and those individuals who are more likely to commit violent crimes are often deterred or caught in the act through increased intervention by law enforcement made possible by sufficient financial resources.

Studies have also shown that children who grow up in homes whose annual income is at or below poverty level are also more likely to engage in criminal activity as teens and adults, and a recent study done by the Christian Association for Prison Aftercare discovered that over 53% of those individuals who are currently incarcerated had an average income of $10,000 or less[3]. Despite the controversy that these studies have sparked, there is little question in anyone's mind that a recessed economy, accompanied by the dramatic rise in unemployment and drop in per capita income that accompany the recession, will ultimately lead in an increase in crime rate if proactive measures are not taken.

The economic stimulus plan that is going into effect under President Obama may offer a solution to the threatening increase in crime. Through his development plan steps will be taken to provide for those living in poverty, including children and senior citizens, increasing federally funded health care coverage and tax cuts and creating a number of federally funded jobs that are expected to have a dramatic impact on the unemployment rate and begin to repair the damage that the economic recession has wrought[4].

One can only hope that these steps will also serve to head off any notable increase in crime rate as well.

[1] Levitt, S. (2004). Understanding why crime fell in the 1990s: Four factors that explain the decline and six that do not. Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 18.

[2] Ibid

[3] Williams, J. (2007). Poverty and crime. Retrieved 2/17/2009 from http://www.capaassociation.org/newsletter_N009/Articles/PovertyCrime.htm.

[4]Espo, D. (2009, February 14). Stimulus bill heads to President's desk. The Free Lance Star, pp. A1, A9.

Jim Wilkinson is the Vice President of http://www.YourGreatestProtection.com

He has a background in Law Enforcement and Safety. He knows what is effective to help keep you, your family and your home safe. His firm offers a variety of reasonably priced personal protection products such as tasers,stun guns,pepper spray and hidden cameras.

Kiss Me, Kill Me by Ann Rule - True Crime Book Review

This book has ten true crime stories included. Kiss Me, Kill Me is the longest story with 128 pages and is about a young pregnant mother who gets killed in her home. The other stories "The Postman Only Killed Once", What's Love Got To Do With It? ", "Old Flames Can Burn", The Lonely Hearts Killer", The Captive Bride", "Bad Blind Date", The Highway Accident", You Kill Me...Or I'll Kill You" and "Where Is Julie? " are shorter stories and average about 25 pages each. The common thread in each of these stories and probably why Ann Rule used them all for this crime file is they are all crimes against women and involved a certain element of trust by the victims for the killer.

Suffice to say all Ann Rule books are brilliant. Her ability to take you into the lives of the victim before they get murdered evokes an emotional response as you feel you already know these people by the time they get murdered.

I enjoy the true crime files but feel a little let down by the shorter stories as most of them seem to have the potential to be a full book on their own. Ann Rule has made the comment that she gets asked to write so many books about certain people and criminal acts and really does not have the time to write all of them. The true crime files is her way of writing about as many stories as she can. She mostly chooses stories which are close to her heart as in "Kiss Me, Kill Me" she is a personal friend of the victim's uncle.

I think the True Crime Files are perfect for readers who enjoy true crime stories but do not really like reading big books. In that way Ann Rule has made sure that all her types of readers are satisfied. For me any Ann Rule book is wonderful and I just wish she would write more books. I always wonder when I read a true crime story that I do not enjoy, if Ann Rule would have written it differently and made it a good book. I personally think so. . .

To sum up, I prefer full length stories but I still read the crime files as I will read anything written by Ann Rule.

This is my personal review on Kiss Me, Kill Me written by Ann Rule but I would suggest accessing the opinions of other readers of true crime stories before making an online purchase of a true crime book.

For more information on true crime books, reviews on these books, a wish list and a swop corner for readers of true crime stories come browse though http://truecrimebookreviews.blogspot.com

Are You a Crime Scene Cleaner? Know the Different Kinds of "Crime Scenes"

Knowing how to respond to a certain situation is very important for a crime scene cleaner. This is why knowing the different kinds of crime scenes are not just vital but quite critical since a specific kind may need a different approach or system for securing it. Each type of crime scene clean up comes with different levels of hazard and unique grossness to it that may need special actions or methods to deal with. After all, crime scene clean up is not just about apparently cleaning it but assuring that is really clean which will mean a hazard and infection-free place, just like what it have been before the crime happened.

The most common crime scene clean up includes a violent death, decomposing body and methamphetamine labs. For violent death crimes resulting from a crime of homicide, suicides and street accidents, the usual problem encountered during a cleanup is the tons of blood involved. Aside from blood, there are also bodily fluids and blood byproducts that may carry germs, bacteria and infectious diseases. This is the type of crime scene why a cleaner must undergo blood borne pathogen training to deal with it in the safest way possible.

For a scene that involves a decomposing body or a decaying body, it will have a lesser bloody mess but is equally or more gruesome than violent death scenario. However, the gore sight from a violent death will be replaced by a disgustful smell. Decaying body has already gone through changes that results to a release of ammonia gas which is the source of the foul odor associated with it. Although the police or a crime investigator removes the decaying body before a scene clean up, there are still residues from the body such as liquefied body matter and odors and insects that had entered the body carrying the dead's blood. In this case, hard core cleaners like foggers and odor removers are mostly needed.

Lastly, proper crime-scene clean up for methamphetamine labs does not only include cleaning and removing any foul odor from the place. Of the three kinds of crime scenes, methamphetamine labs are the most dangerous and with the highest health risk involved although there is no gross blood factor found in death scenes. This crime scene has a very high level of toxicity and poisons that are infused in every surface in the lab and stays in the air. Exposure to these poisons such as acetone, methanol, iodine and ammonia that usually being absorbed by the skin may lead to serious illnesses and damage to lungs, kidneys and livers. If the place is not yet declared as safe and truly clean, it will also pose great danger to the public. All the things including furniture and furnishings should remove and dispose of properly.

For a professional crime scene clean up service anywhere in the United States, contact http://www.actremediation.com

Crime - Why? Some Thoughts 1

Some thoughts: 'Crime has always been with us as far back as history cares to dictate'

There are many reasons why individuals commit crime. Criminals can be desperate, mentally ill, lazy, bored, rich, unemployed and poor, on drugs or just they've made a career choice. A career in crime will start with the committing of a 'small' offence in which they have not been caught or the courts dealt lightly with the offender. This often leads to the idea that they have got away with it and that crime 'does pay'. Individuals with a criminal mindset believe they can outsmart the police and get away with it every time. Their crimes escalate to bigger and more serious offences which become a habit and a way of life.

There is no absolute definitive answer as to why someone commits a crime. If we delved into a psychology based analysis of every criminal mind, then this may give us more accurate predictors of crime. This method is being studied and may become a useful strategy in future crime prediction.

Drug related crimes and vandalism are sometimes committed because they give the perpetrators a thrill... it's a buzz! They know it's wrong but that adds to the surge of excitement they get when they're doing the crime!

Many crimes against property such as burglary, theft and assault are the work of drug addicts. They continually want money to pay for their next fix and will steal easy cash or belongings.

When people are high on drugs, they experience a heightened sense of confidence. It can make them much stronger, and any thought of morality, social conscience or reasonable thought is removed.

This cocktail of side effects also makes the criminal dangerous, because the drugs create a very strong craving which doesn't go away until they get their next 'hit'. So they are, quite literally, extremely desperate and will do just about anything to get drugs.

The most prevalent type of crime is the opportunist. Most crimes happen because the criminal can see a way of stealing something easily from us, usually when we are distracted or unaware and are more vulnerable and a better target for the criminal.

The opportunist criminal will watch how we lock our homes and our cars; we may leave things lying about, or walk down dark alleyways, presenting ourselves as an easy target.

We just don't think it will happen to us! Not in our neighborhood. It only happens to other people in other places.

Having security awareness in the community would most likely reduce crime by 50%. Each one of us has a responsibility to make ourselves less of a target for criminals and in so doing we can effectively and significantly lower the crime rate.

David Turner invites you to learn more about security now in an easy to understand way by logging on to the Foresight website. http://www.foresight-security.com I also offer you access to our ebooks that have been created for you - from our ebook site http://www.teaching-security.com These cover vital security subjects such as Business, Family and Children Security.

Crime Problems Need Solutions Using the Newest and Best Crime Prevention Products on the Market

As a police officer in PA, I saw many persons who had very bad days, because of what took place in their lives. I saw that criminal activity that took place in their cars, homes, offices, school dormitory rooms, and in the streets. The victims wanted answers as to what to do in the future to prevent it happening again. I tell them there are solutions to future potential problems.

If you are watching or reading the news you know that Crime is out of Control in the United States of America. But the staggering fact of the matter is that:

- Every 2 minutes someone is sexually assaulted.

- One property crime happens every 3 seconds.

- One burglary occurs every 10 seconds.

- One violent crime occurs every 20 seconds.

- One aggravated assault occurs every 35 seconds.

- One robbery occurs every 60 seconds, or 1 minute.

Because of the above, I now suggest and recommend different crime prevention kits for different areas of personal life. Any good security product kit should combine the ease and ability to do it yourself, they should be reasonably priced, and lastly they should include supplemental DVDs, or with with written material on how to protect oneself. Simple, fact based education is needed on these matters. These do provide needed crime prevention and I believe they can and do save lives!

Think about it. Most of us are not provided with any training in personal, family, and home security. We really do not have any experience in looking for professional products on our own, and we have no one source which includes knowledgeable assistance. Now this is a reality. All products should be non-lethal, safe, and covered by warranties. All products must be backed by satisfaction guarantees.

I recommend these seven crime areas where crime prevention products can be used.

The suggested crime locations are:

No. 1. Being Safe At Home;

No. 2. College Survival;

No. 3. Apartment Survival;

No. 4. Personal Safety for Women;

No. 5. Office Safety and Security; and

No. 6. Vehicle Safety.

The suggested crime locations have related products that do contain product instructional DVDs and have "how to do it yourself manuals" along with essential well researched reports. This data should be contained in all of the above mentioned "crime location kits".

Today's newer type kits appear innovative and use a different approach unlike anything else currently available in the personal family security field. Crime is real and you need to think seriously about crime prevention. Solutions that can help both you and your family, before it is to late! Refer to the web site at: http://www.Feel-Safe-Now.com.

William J. Sabo Sr., M.ED., CRC, CCM, CRE, VE, FACFE, ( Crime Prevention Expert), is a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper living in Savannah, Georgia. He has been assisting or consulting with many persons over the last 41 years concerning crime prevention and it has given him great satisfaction educating individuals whom he has helped. Even saving a few lives, thank God.

He has a BA in Bible and Theology from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, GA, and a Masters degree from the University of GA, Athens, GA. He is a graduate from the PA State Police Academy, Hershey, PA.

He has authored two books in the 1990s. He retired from his counseling practice at Sabo Consulting Services in Savannah, Georgia.

He now owns and operates Sabo Security Products, P.O. Box 61556, Savannah, Ga 31419. http://www.Feel-Safe-Now.com

Hate Crimes Book Review - Part 1

Specific hate crimes are usually tied to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, poverty, politics, sexual orientation, Anti-Semitism, environmental protection, and several other social conditions. The book touches on each of these issues and provides controversial and contradictory information so that the reader can have different points of view. Therefore, one can make their own decision and can start critically thinking about the various issues.

The author places importance on not only reasons for hate crimes but possible solutions such as expanding the current laws to include many types of hate crimes. In addition, the writer brings out the flip side of each argument by showing the opposing view point. For example, in the first chapter he stresses how serious hate crimes are in the world today. Then, in a later chapter he states these crimes may not be that serious and are over exaggerated. The writer explains that the Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR) was formed to collect data against hate crimes. However, many enforcement agencies don't use the UCR. This makes it extremely difficult to get true statistics on these crimes. The author in this book has to base his arguments on many different methods since there is a lack of statistics. The book Hate Crimes was brought together by combining different types of research such as newspapers, periodicals, other books, government documents, and publications of organizations.

One of the author's main debates is whether stricter laws should be enacted against hate crimes. By enforcing stricter laws against hate crimes, minority populations would be more protected. As a result, less people would be victimized. On the contrary, enforcing these laws would be unconstitutional because it goes against our freedom of speech. The author points out that people can have prejudice thoughts and speak their mind. That is part of our First Amendment. Thinking, believing, and even hating is not something government can punish. Yet, on the other hand, people may believe that the expression of hateful and prejudice ideas causes harm to others even if there is no criminal misconduct.

Stricter hate crime laws may actually increase prejudice rather than reduce it. This happens because a person won't change their bigoted ways after being convicted of a hate crime. Many times that person is now viewed as a hero or martyr among their peers. Now, others will follow suit and show hatred against other groups to increase their standing among their friends. So this vicious cycle continues and produces more hate crimes rather than eliminate them. More importantly, sending people to jail without reform doesn't create positive change. Jails are the most prejudice places in our society.

Another main contention is about the extent of hate crimes and violence against women. Violence Against Women's Act (VAWA) was passed in 1994 to protect women from violence. Since men are typically stronger, women are more vulnerable and needed this act to protect them. The author then showed that the VAWA Act was anti-male. Some women made false claims but were atomically believed. Many feminists tried to play on people's emotions and allege violence when in many instances it didn't occur. The worst injustice is that millions of dollars were given to VAWA to help provide free legal assistance to victims but accused men could not receive assistance. Our Constitution is based on innocence until proven guilty. Men did not receive this right.

Whether you're buying a Nickel Shower Faucet or outfitting your bathroom with a fully Brushed Nickel Shower you want to make sure you do as much research and due diligence before following through with a purchase or contract worker to ensure you're happy with the end result. With so many products and options floating around, it can be difficult to make the right choice, but if you do enough looking around, then you're bound to make the right one!

Steps to Become Crime Scene Investigator

Crime scene investigator is the essential component of criminal justice organization or system. They gather evidences at the crime scene that may help in crime solving. They work at the police departments or additional law enforcement agencies that practice crime scenes as well as collecting evidences. They are sometimes referred as evidence technicians, crime scene technicians, forensic investigators or some other names unique in their division.

Investigators take pictures and preserve physical evidences at the crime scenes. It is very important that evidences are gathered and kept without contagion. Scene investigators should cautiously document their works.

Evidences gathered may include fingerprints, body fluids, fibers, hair, organic materials as well as trace evidence. These investigators may also examine blood patterns or spatter to determine the manner of blood shedding.

Crime scenes may be in their homes, cars, public buildings, in nature like in the woods and anywhere where there are collectible evidences. Crime investigators must be trained before they can qualify to become one. Many of these investigators are current members of the police forces or former police officers. But, there are also civilian positions that are present in crime scene investigations. Every U. S. police department has diverse profession and educational requirements for this field.

Different steps to become investigator:

- Learn about the work - You must try to know what the exact job you are applying for. Read the work summaries of the jobs listed in the employment page. This will provide you the details of the different responsibilities the worker will have and also the least requirements in applying for the work. One of the finest things you can make is to get in touch with the agencies within the geographical location you want to work and look for yourself how often they are offering job openings.

- Prepare for your job application. There are positions that have need of a 4-year degree course in science and others are requiring High Scholl graduates only. In general, if you wish to work at any crime lab as one of their Criminalists, you then need to have finished a degree course in science such as chemistry or Biology. If your targeted position needs you to have a formal training, you need to check from your local college and universities from where the training is available.

- Make a good resume and apply for the job. No matter if the agency is not requiring for a resume, attach it still to your application. It can be a help in getting the interview and if lucky enough, even for getting the job.

Learn the characteristics of the Crime Scene Investigators. For more information, visit us at: http://Crime-Scene-Investigation.org/

Murder Walls for Crime Novelists

A Murder Wall is a vital tool for crime novelists. Imagine trying to write a story without knowing your suspects or their possible motives. For any great crime novelist, your job is to treat your novel like a police investigation, following the clues and the evidence until it reaches the outcome or climactic resolution. If you watch most great crime dramas such as Law & Order and Without a Trace, you will notice that investigators often use visuals on a wall to keep each case organized. This is a Murder Wall.

Developing a fictional crime and its cast of characters can be confusing and overwhelming without a tool to keep everything organized. A Murder Wall shows the structure of the crime and the characters who are involved. On a wall close to your computer for easy access, tape up letter-sized pieces of paper featuring photos and key points on each character linked to a murder or crime. This technique enables the writer to visualize the cast of characters more fully, to give each suspect or victim a face and to bring them to life. It ensures that the basic facts of each character's existence are easily accessible. And it keeps you consistent with the facts of the crime and the evidence presented.

Creating the Murder Wall:

A Murder Wall consists of four main elements: the victim(s), suspects, witnesses and the killer (s). You will want to include important facts, clues and info on each victim, suspect and witness. On the killer's paper, I often find it helpful to have a picture of a silhouette, rather than the killer's appearance. It helps me to create the 'mystery of not knowing'. Then once I've reached the last few chapters, I may change this. This also acts as a 'non-spoiler' in case someone walks into your office and sees your Murder Wall.

Victims:

o Basic info (name, age, occupation, marital status and physical description)

o How did they die?

o Time of death?

o What motive would someone have for killing them?

o What were they doing prior to death?

o How are they connected to your suspects or other characters in your novel?

Suspects:

o Basic info (name, age, occupation, marital status and physical description)

o How are they connected to the victims?

o What are their alibis?

o Do they have a motive?

o What clues can you leave to lead or mislead your readers?

Witnesses:

o Basic info (name, age, occupation, and physical description)

o What did they see or hear?

o How are they connected to your suspects and to the victim?

o What are their alibis?

o Do they have a motive?

o Will a witness become a suspect?

Killer (s):

o Basic info (name, age, occupation, and physical description)

o Motive

o History and relationship to victim(s)

o Preferred method of killing

o Alibi

On the Murder Wall, keep the victim's paper in the center. Add the suspects around the victim, and add the witnesses along one side. Link a strip of paper from one paper to another if two characters had a past connection. For example, one suspect may know another suspect because he delivered her pizza the night before. The killer's paper can be off to one side and strips of paper may link him to one of the witnesses or suspects. Be sure to make notes on the strips connecting them.

Find photos of actors whom you think physically resemble your suspects and victims, and add a small photo to each paper. Most often writers already have a clear picture in their head as to what the character looks like. If you can draw, then go ahead and create your character. If not, then go online and search the celebrity sites. Pretend you are a casting agent. Whom would you cast in the role of the serial arsonist in your crime novel or the evil doctor in your murder mystery? One of the easiest ways to find your actor is to simply watch television. If you are looking for a face to play your slasher, then check out some of the detective shows. Find the face that inspires you, that makes you believe "Yes, he is Hans VanBuren, a demented, psychopathic killer!"

During your novel's progression, there will be many tidbits of information that you can add to each Murder Wall paper―secrets from their past, important clues and more. The key to writing a good mystery is to mislead the reader and drop clues in the guise of foreshadowing. Twists and turns are important elements of a good crime novel or mystery. And don't forget to list any bad habits your character might have. If she is a compulsive liar, make a note. If he's a shifty-eyed procrastinator, the note on his paper will act as a reminder and keep you consistent. As each character develops, continue to add any new information to each sheet. Plots change and characters mutate. They grow, they learn things, and they react.

Not only will a Murder Wall help to keep your suspects, victims and witnesses organized and in your face, you will start to really see them. And once an author can see her characters, there is a better chance that the reader will visualize them also. Choosing an actor to represent these characters will give them a voice, a stance, a personality, and life. No novel can survive without characters with depth, heart, soul and spirit. And a crime novel cannot survive without a strong motive!

A Murder Wall is an invaluable tool that will show you the victims, suspects and evidence in a clear, visible way. It will help you to plot a more believable crime, to create multi-dimensional characters, and to keep the crime, suspects and motives on track. It is much easier to plot or solve a crime when everything is laid out before you. Even criminals have a plan. Why shouldn't the crime novelist? And your plan should start with creating a Murder Wall.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, a Canadian mystery author, is the author of three published novels: Whale Song, an emotional mystery; Divine Intervention, a scorching psychic suspense; and her newest release, The River, a terrifying techno-thriller. http://www.cherylktardif.com or Email Cheryl Kaye Tardif

©2005 Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Is the Criminal Mind a Product of Learned Behavior? Examining the Causes of Crime

Crime, as we all know, is an antisocial behavior. But why do people commit crimes? Why some commit crimes without considering the repercussion of their actions? Is it a learned behavior? Could be, but there are several other factors that can lead to a criminal mind. And these factors could be psychological, biological, social or economic. As a matter of fact, for every crime committed, one or combination of these factors is often the reason behind it.

It is of utmost importance for parents to maintain a healthy relationship with their children. Caring and loving parents who cherish and support their children instill in them a positive self image. These children are generally well-balanced in relating to others and are less likely to commit crimes later in their lives. On the other hand, children that grew up in an abusive and disruptive home will most likely abuse their own children. Therefore, children that were neglected and abused are more likely to commit crimes later in life. Equally, kids who have been sexually abused growing up often become sexual predators as adults. Studies have shown that most serial rapists had experienced some form of cruel abuse in the early stages of their lives.

Researchers have also discovered that there is a connection between brain activity and criminal behavior. They concluded that certain substances released by the brain to generate body activity, plays a major role in influencing antisocial behavior. These substances are called neurochemicals. Serotonin and dopamine are the two major neurochemicals that can significantly affect a person's emotional state of mind. Serotonin decreases aggression while dopamine other hand increases aggression. The researchers discovered that there were higher levels of dopamine and lower levels of serotonin in people that commit violent crimes.

Now, let us examine the social and economic causes of crime. When you take a look at most of the people that commit crimes such as burglary, robbery, car theft and shoplifting you'll find out that a lot of them have a very poor educational background. Most of them cannot read or write above sixth grade level. They rarely have employment history and if they do their earnings are at the minimum wage or below. So, some of these people have to make a choice between living in poverty and a lucrative crime. Peer pressure is another factor that can influence people to commit crimes. Kids wanting to "belong" tend to do things they will not normally do to "fit in" with their peer group. Kids not participating in any sports or social programs tend to fall into this trap. Also, children who have been neglected by their families often become gang members. And we all know what these criminal gangs do. Drug and alcohol abuse is yet another factor that causes people to commit crimes. Both alcohol and drugs greatly impairs someone's ability to make good decisions and reduces a person's restraints, therefore giving them more courage to commit a crime. People commit crimes to support their drug habit.

In conclusion, now that we understand the major causes of crime in our society, we must all work together to do the best we can to make crime more difficult to commit or reduce the opportunities for criminals to commit them.

Michael Imana is a freelance writer. His articles focuses mainly on personal, home and business security issues. He has published several ebooks on self-defense and home security products. He helped started Prosafety Systems, an internet-based company that specializes in providing the very latest in personal, home and business security products. He is dedicated to helping people protect themselves, their homes and their businesses.

http://www.myprosafety.com
http://www.myprospy.com

Alarming Statistics on Rising Crime Rates - Why is Crime So Popular?

Not only are the continually rising crime rates in the U.S. terribly alarming and valid cause for great concern, but equally curious and unfortunate is the public's perception that crime and its related drama are somehow entertaining.

The most popular television show in the United States is currently 'CSI' (Crime Scene Investigations). Drawing in an estimated 84 million viewers, the show has been a fan favorite since its 2000 debut. Now in its ninth season, CSI continues to pull in regular viewers.

Criminal Minds, a televised series now in its fourth season, also receives praise from regular TV watchers. The fascination with crime series and the topic of violence and unlawful activity on film is nothing new; people have crowded into theaters and gathered in front of their TV screens to watch this type of action play out for decades.

As life imitates art (or is it the other way around?), cities across America continue to see occurrences of crime increase. New Orleans, Louisiana, tops the list as the most dangerous American city, leading in areas of both violent crime (they had over 200 murders in 2008) and property crime. The small town of Gary, Indiana was a close contender in 2nd place. Los Angeles, California, New York, New York and Atlanta, Georgia all had disturbingly high numbers of violent crime, including murder, as well as thefts, break-ins and burglaries, car thefts, and other incidents of property crime.

American citizens, despite their inexplicable acceptance of criminal topic matter as venues for entertainment, spend a good deal of money to protect themselves, their homes and their families. Reliable security systems become more common every year, as people realize they need far more comprehensive home safety plans than a dog and a peephole on the front door.

Citizens arm themselves with mace, personal alarms and take classes on self-defense, making very deliberate efforts to devise potentially life-saving responses to an attack. Car alarms and the 'club' devices (an implement that attaches to a steering wheel to deter auto theft) are also regularly purchased.

Obviously, people are aware of the threatening danger of crime, and most people are responsible enough to make efforts to protect themselves, and yet they almost promote it by accepting crime-related subject matter as an acceptable form of entertainment. Isn't it possible that, if crime was not given top billing on television or in the cinema, maybe it would not be such a top-rated pastime amongst real-life citizens?

It's not unreasonable to imagine that, were the media to cease glorifying violence and unsavory behavior, it would become less attractive to act out in this manner amongst society. Actions speak louder than words. If our culture stops acting as if criminal lifestyles are essentially fascinating, we could very well witness an alarmingly positive decrease in the negative statistics that currently pervade the U.S. crime scene.

S.L. Robertson writes about GE Home Security, personal safety and house alarm systems. Robertson has long been regarded as an expert in the field of reliable home safety and affordable security systems.

New Thoughts on How to Reduce Drug Usage and Crime

Crime is becoming rampant due to drug usage. Drug usage is becoming rampant due to those wanting to escape from responsibility. Escape from responsibility is becoming rampant because of the tyranny of the law and legal system in our country. The legal system and the laws and lawyers are becoming more active and domineering because of crime. It is a self-feeding system and as all self-feeding systems it needs to have a brake put on it at some point.

The things that have been tried in the past won't work. It needs to have some innovative thinking brought to bear on the problem. Different ideas need to be brainstormed as to what place in the links between these factors the stopgap should be put.

Let's take the first problem, that of crime becoming rampant because of the need for drugs. People are using drugs to replace God in their lives. They have lost the ability to trust society or religion for any answers to their problems and to answer their unanswered questions for them.

By using the drugs, they feel powerful enough that they do not need to be dependent on society and its educational practices or the churches and their educational practices. They simply determine, then to create their own society. The more that fall into this drug culture, the stronger it becomes. If not stopped it can become a culture of great power, as the taking of drugs eliminates the conscience which is what the spiritual path is all about, you remember. When the conscience is eliminated and in most cases destroyed by the taking of drugs, then crime is rampant within the culture, even against other members of the drug culture. They do not just commit crime against those not taking drugs, but the elimination of the conscience allows them to commit crime even against their own, be it mother, father, brother, sister or friend.

The taking of drugs destroys any hope of their soul having any influence over the form. The drugs themselves actually kill off brain cells. The same is true of all drugs, be it nicotine from tobacco or alcohol or any other of the drugs now in use. They all will prevent clear thinking.

Our government has tried every way they can think of to stop drug trafficking. Nothing has worked. Perhaps the answer is legalization. This would certainly stop the huge amounts of money that exchange hands. This would stop the high street cost and therefore the need to commit crimes to get the money to buy drugs.

It is a known fact that when something is out of reach it becomes very desirable. This is true for all humans. Perhaps this is the only way to gain control of the drug problem is to lose control. Sometimes this is what it takes. This would put the problem directly where it belongs, each person taking direct responsibility from the age of twelve on as to whether he wanted to live his life in a drug haze, or to be completely free of mind altering contaminants. There hasn't been an aggressive enough campaign from the correct angles on this subject. It needs to be approached from an educational and spiritual viewpoint combined.

The next link in the chain is that of crime to obtain the money to buy the drugs. Drugs are slave masters. They entail loss of freedom because of the ability to be addictive. Crime can also be addictive. Once a person "gets away with a crime" it becomes a powerful stimulus in his mind to know or think, anyway, that he has outwitted those seemingly much more mentally powerful than he is.

Therefore, those trying to stop crime need to learn to think like a criminal. There needs to be schooling given that gives the law enforcement officers the ability to think like a criminal.

There also has to be a powerful goal to be obtained. One suggestion would be financial bonuses for law enforcement officers for directly being responsible for catching criminals.

If it isn't always possible to determine who is responsible for solving the case, for instance in a case as big as the Oklahoma bombing, the reward money should go to the victims families.

Where will the reward money come from? There are many sources. One suggestion would be from minor traffic violations. In other words, an increase in minor traffic offenses such as parking tickets, speeding, not wearing seat belts, etc. This puts the responsibility right back into the hands of the people who will benefit from a reduction overall in crime. It will come from the people who want to have a crime free country giving to the victims of crime or to the fund that will honor the people who catch the criminals.

The next place in the linkage between all this is in the law and the lawyers, those making the laws and those hired to protect and defend people who have been accused of breaking the law. The lawyers need to understand how the mind of someone works who is out to "get what they can" from situations that should never be defendable in a court of law. These are the people who do not want to take any responsibility for themselves.

One case I can think of are those who sue a restaurant over coffee that is too hot. Every mother teaches her child to be aware of hot drinks. What kind of a mother would she be if she did not do this? Have these people forgotten what they learned at their mother's knee? The responsibility in this case is clearly their own. There are many other instances where this is happening.

Lawyers need to attend a school of drama where they act out many different roles of being in business or offering services where they are "sued" by other lawyers in the school for things that will immediately seem ridiculous and point up where all this is leading. There needs to be much more control over lawyers by lawyers as to whether they take these shoddy cases. They are, of course, after the money these cases will bring. There needs to be a stop gap put into the rewards these lawsuits bring. The profession of law needs to police itself. Once again we come back to education through acting out the roles of those you are offering service to.

This is a new direction that education needs to take at every step in our lives. Walking a mile in the other person's shoes, learning how the mind of a criminal works. Those who sue for ridiculous reasons are just as much a criminal as those who rob a bank. Those who take on these cases are just as guilty. What they are all doing is hurting everyone and feeding, in a round robin manner, the monster of money. Medical lawsuits are some of the worst. Fraud is another big crime, almost as bad as murder. Courses in responsibility need to be implemented in the schooling of our children because it obviously isn't coming from the parents. They didn't get it themselves so cannot teach it.

This article was excerpted from The New Millennium NoteBooks by Norma Hickox. Learn more about Norma at my website which is at http://www.chrysalispub.com Norma is a musician. She plays & teaches 6 instruments & composes music. She has also done painting, writing, dance and theater.

Consensual Crimes - Not Actual Crimes

While numerous violent criminals and white-collar criminals roam free, and innocent people rot in prison and on death row for crimes they didn't commit, law-enforcement resources are used to destroy the lives of consenting adults who do not harm anyone. One article I ready suggested that approximately four million people are arrested each year and 350,000 are in prison for consensual crimes.

I am considering a "consensual crime" to be defined as a criminal act committed by two or more people, who consent to involvement, and does not involve any non-consenting individuals. The following is a non-exclusive list of criminal acts that could be considered consensual between the parties: prostitution, adultery, homosexual conduct, sodomy, gambling, some drug use (marijuana), and assisted suicide.

Another name for these sort of "crimes" may be victimless crimes, because they do not harm anyone as they have no impact on a person other than those who chose to engage in the activity. Thus, there is no victim.

When people are arrested for those crimes, their ability to remain employed is jeopardized. A conviction and prison sentence virtually guarantees the loss of their livelihoods. Upon release from prison, the criminal record may impede their ability to find new jobs.

Even if they are not convicted of a crime, the arrest record alone can significantly harm their lives. It too can lead to loss of jobs and difficulty finding new ones, and it may interfere with other aspects of their lives, such as the ability to obtain credit, purchase a car, rent an apartment, maintain custody of children or to vote.

Thus, the financial impact of either a conviction or arrest may mean these people need long-term assistance from government or charities. Or they may resort to serious crime based on what they learned from real criminals while incarcerated. This is all a huge drain on the economy and is in addition to the costs of arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning them.

To avoid conviction and prison, the accused may have to spend thousands of dollars on legal fees. For certain crimes, the amounts can run to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. When faced with the possibility of causing financial ruin to themselves and their families, some contemplate suicide and may see it as the only way out. If this is the action the accused takes, that impacts society from the loss of productivity, and more importantly, it impacts the family and friends of the accused.

Government causes all this turmoil in the lives of consenting adults to "protect" them from possible consequences that might occur to them - and them alone - from their own freely chosen acts.

Because these arrests devastate the lives of harmless people, a strong argument can be made that Christian mercy, along with the mercy taught by other religions and philosophies, is reason enough for leaving consenting adults alone, but the irony rarely seen is that often it is in the name of Christian principles that these laws exist or are pursued....

Law-enforcement resources are wasted investigating consensual acts

Government's focus on consensual acts leads to more unethical conduct in another way. To the extent law-enforcement resources are used against consenting adults, there is a corresponding reduction in the resources available for apprehending criminals that pose a true threat to society-those criminals who would cause harm to others and only seek to benefit themselves.

An enormous need exists to increase efforts to arrest those who harm the innocent. They victimize someone every two seconds in the United States, and five out of six Americans may someday be victims of violent crime. According to author Peter McWilliams, arrests are being made for only about 20% of crimes committed against persons or property. He also says one in six murderers gets away, eight of ten burglars aren't arrested, and only 5% of forcible rapes lead to prison time.

McWilliams further reports that $10 billion in personal property is stolen each year and never recovered. Billions more are illicitly obtained through white-collar crime. Even if the person is not harmed, if the victim files an insurance claim or takes action to recover damages, this alone ties up resources and takes resources from the economy, causing an impact that was definitely undesired.

Using law-enforcement resources against consensual acts also makes the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. According to The 9/11 Commission Report, in 2000 there were twice as many FBI agents assigned to enforcing drug laws than assigned to counterterrorism. The FBI's head of counterterrorism told the Commission he wishes he'd had "500 analysts looking at Osama Bin Ladin . . . instead of two." And former Vice President Al Gore charged that prior to the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration's Justice Department had more FBI agents investigating a suspected brothel in New Orleans than monitoring Bin Ladin and al Qaeda.

There obviously is a strong need for law enforcement to improve its responses to real crimes committed against persons or property. Yet each year in the U.S., law enforcement applies some $50 billion to arrest, prosecute, and lock up persons who commit consensual crimes. Some estimates are that roughly half of all law-enforcement resources are used in connection with consensual crimes.

Those resources could go a long way toward remedying the current deficiencies in law enforcement's handling of more serious crimes. Due to this misallocation of resources, many violent and sociopathic criminals are able to escape justice and continue preying on the public. The same principle applies to white-collar criminals who may never be detected... lest we forget the Enron and WorldCom scandals.

Dax Garvin, Attorney and Counselor At law is an experienced Austin DWI Attorney.

I graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in May, 2002, and was licensed to practice law in Texas that November, following the July, 2002, Texas Bar Exam. Prior to that, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Tyler and my first years of undergraduate work were spent at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, where I learned the true passion of humanity-recognizing we are all part of one great society.

I worked in the Travis County Attorney's Office from August, 2002, until October, 2003, when I entered into private practice with a mid-size Austin civil litigation firm, where I enhanced my skills for legal research, writing, motion practice, and working with insurance companies from the defense perspective.

http://www.daxlegal.com

Compensation For Victims of Crime

Anyone who's been a victim of crime knows how upset and angry and violated you can feel because of it. What a lot of them don't know, however, is that it's possible to be entitled to compensation, depending on the crime that was committed and how things took place. If you think you might be entitled to compensation for a crime committed against you, there are several things you need to do and specific people that you'll need to talk to in order to get help.

Notify The Authorities

The first thing any crime victim should do - other than get immediate medical attention if it's needed - is to let the authorities know that a crime has been committed. Everything from murder to identity theft to a purse snatching can have important evidence surrounding it. If the police don't get there quickly, some of that evidence can be lost. The sooner you tell them about the crime the sooner they can start working to help you - and the more information you'll be able to tell them. Everything will still be fresh in your mind, making you more helpful to the police when they ask you questions about what happened to you.

Get A Good Lawyer

Don't try to do things alone. The person who committed the crime against you will have a lawyer, and if you're trying to get compensation for your injuries you should have one, as well. Whether the person who committed the crime is convicted of it or not, you still may be able to get damages. In other words, don't let a lack of conviction in criminal court stop you from pursuing a civil case against the offender. A lawyer can help you do that, and it's never a good idea to approach the offender directly or try to handle a court case on your own. There are too many subtleties to the law for you to grasp quickly, and a lawyer will know much more about what you should do.

Be Realistic About Your Case

It's very important to be reasonable and realistic. Getting compensation is important, and you certainly should have that, but asking for millions when the crime wasn't that serious isn't the way to go. Even 'pain and suffering' doesn't cost that much, and people are likely not going to side with you if they assume you're only after a lot of money for a relatively small crime. In cases where the crime is much more serious, more compensation may be in order.

Whatever you decide to do about getting compensation, you should still report the crime. The offender should have to answer to authorities for what he or she has done, even if you never seek compensation for damages. Don't just let that person get away with committing a crime. Be sure to talk to police and any other necessary authority figures until the case is resolved.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Claims for you who offer Accident Compensation Claims and other Accident Claims.

White Collar Crimes 101

The majority of "white collar" crimes are committed by salaried professionals using deception, as opposed to violence or force, to perpetrate theft or fraud. These crimes can be either misdemeanor or felony infractions of the law, and these types of crimes can be prosecuted in state court, federal court, or both.

There are many types of these offenses and most involved theft by deception or fraud. Such crimes include offenses such as:

o Bank Fraud

o Bribery

o Credit Card Fraud

o Forgery

o Embezzlement

o Tax Evasion

Individuals convicted of committing a white collar crime can face punishments such as fines, restitution, forfeiture, or imprisonment. Additionally, individuals accused or convicted of a white collar crime may be subject to additional consequences such as loss of employment and loss of pension. Situations such as these can threaten the financial stability and future of both the accused and their family.

In many cases, individuals under investigation for these crimes are aware that they are under investigation. Suspected individuals may be the focus of internal investigations or private investigations. White collar crimes do not represent an immediate threat to society; therefore, white collar crimes are often investigated by federal authorities for a year or more before charges are filed against an individual suspected of committing these types of crimes. Individuals who believe they are under investigation for a white collar crime should contact an attorney for assistance.

If you are currently under investigation, have been contacted by law enforcement for questioning, or have received a subpoena for records or testimony, you should contact a lawyer immediately. Individuals should never agree to speak with law enforcement officials in regard to white collar crime investigations until they have discussed the matter with their attorney. You want to be sure that information provided to law enforcement officers cannot not be used against you in court. For that reason, it is imperative to consult an attorney as soon as you learn you are under investigation.

Disclosure: I am not an attorney. This information is correct to the best of my knowledge. Laws may change over time. If you are facing federal financial or fraud charges, consider at least speaking with an attorney; many offer free consultations.

For more information on these types of fraud or financial crimes, Visit http://www.criminaldefenseattorneynj.com/white-collar-crimes/

New Forms of Organized Crime

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) to indicate that nearly $ 1 trillion, from criminal activities, circulating daily in the financial markets.

The UN, moreover, suggests a world market for illicit drugs more than the entire oil industry, moving a year more than $ 400 billion dollars.

This high volume of financial resources generated by organized crime to be hidden, disguised and integrated into economic activity permitted.

It is possible to state that the mafias no longer a matter of police to become a financial and geopolitical issue of first magnitude A clandestine world buzzing, not subjected to any kind of law or democratic rules, employs hundreds of thousands of people.

The 'business' includes trade in drugs, weapons (possibly even nuclear), sophisticated technologies obtained through industrial espionage or secret purchase of slaves and white children, human organs used in transplants, transport, passports and visas for falsified entries for illegal immigrants, in addition to practice 'traditional' authorities and of bribery of politicians, extortion, exploitation of prostitution and child and adult control of cities or entire regions based on force and terror imposed by well-armed gangs and organized according to a paramilitary structure.

Another important factor to be considered is the transnational criminal organizations tripled the area of cultivation of coca in Colombia, due to new agricultural techniques despite fumigation under sponsorship of the America.

Organized crime looked further, to try coca plantations in Georgia, on the island of Samoa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire). But, still, washing the dirty money in big on shore, as Miami and New York.

The model is increasingly sprayed, characterized by the limited knowledge among its members, the time when the operators of the crime held off business. Ability to articulate world, which drew of new world order of organized crime after the fall of "empire" Soviet in the early 1990: The international organized crime, an imaginary threat to many in 1990, was already a global emergency in 1993.

The major unions of the East and the West gather services and personnel as soon colonizing Western Europe and the United States, increasing drug trafficking in half trillion dollars per year by washing and reinvested in legal ventures an amount estimated at a quarter of a trillion of dollars annually.

Much of the phenomenal growth originated from the fact that they had free access to a territory that covers half the continent of Europe and much of Asia - one sixth of the land mass- Afloat and essentially defenseless.

According to the Italian police released in Sicily in 2001, a survey done by the Russian general Vitor Cheborachev confirms: "eighty percent of the banking system of Moscow is in the hands of the Mafia Russian.

It happened that dismantle the structures the state has disappeared completely and entered a different structure (the Russian mafia) to replace it. The movement of cartels and mafias in the world, however, does not yet constitute a sort of world federation of organized crime.

Since 1980, the Cosa Nostra became a wide structure.

A direct way of achieving the mafia globalization has been the practice to introduce, clandestine, illegal immigrants in the core countries of Europe and the USA. This was the procedure, for example the Chinese Triads and the Yakuza.

The Triads smuggled eight thousand illegal immigrants in Italy in just two years, almost half of all the Chinese community in the country. (...) The tens of thousands of Chinese illegally entering the "head-of-serpent" of the triad were not only more profitable that the heroin, but also a practical necessity. Hong Kong, a showcase of Triads in the world for over a century, revert to communist China in 1997.

The Triads could return to land from where it had fled after the communist - in fact many were returned - but she would never be their homeland. More discreet, and operating in the economic level, the Japanese Yakuza "was investing heavily in all states of the European Union. Authorities of the Japanese police confirmed that she washed money everywhere, in every kind of institution financial and industry, legal or illegal - just as the Sicilian Mafia, they combined a visit to Italy.

Mafia groups that had a tradition of activities limited to their own regions began to join, probably in the late 80s, to extend its influence to the most remote regions of the planet. Included in that table the old Italian and American mafia, the Japanese Yakuza, the Triads based in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, as well as the new Mafia groups in rapid expansion in West Africa and the newest Russian mafias (arising from the dismantling of the Soviet state).

These episodic business between mafias are indicating with certainty that these criminal organizations will be adjusting to the process of economic globalization, which main feature is the relatively free flow of capital with the support systems highly computerized.

In other words, the dimensions and forms of organization of crime in the contemporary world have nothing to do with what existed two or three decades. Compared with the current heads of the crime, Al Capone, for example, is a robber of backyard. It is estimated that Capone fortune of not more than $ 40 million, which is a lot of money, but nothing that is comparable to the billions currently moved by mafias.

While national states seek a solution through international strategic cooperation, which is more effective for the prevention, combating and prosecuting organized crime, through multilateral organizations like the UN, the criminal organizations by passing tax havens and new routes, leaving behind -- finally - the metaphor of the times of Al Capone: laundry, bakery corner of houses of gambling ... are things of the past.

Today, the narco-capital terms "fat" with the greatest naturalness in sessions, live and electronic, financial markets daily. After almost two decades of hegemony of the thesis of the minimum, the economic science is immersed in the search for new paths. The so-called "market fundamentalism" - that suggested the end of the story - already suggest "greater invention of the state in the lives of citizens, now emphasizing the need to combat the recession Keynesian-style, now to invest in national security.

The impasse that wins new contours in the 21st century is placed in the following way by where to draw the line between pure private sector activities and those that require public involvement through ownership or regulation is a question.

How to manage services of those holding public or private regulatory involving social externalities is another. There is little doubt that we cannot answer them. The lesson may well have been that some externalities are too big to be faced by the private sector and always require government funding through collection of taxes to provide services and infrastructure required.

The attempts to blockade the capital attributed to Al Qaeda terrorist network of Osama bin Laden, were empty. Indeed, the determination of the United States and Britain of blocking accounts of 27 entities suspected not reached the targets concerned. In Britain, where the freeze hit $ 88 million - with $ 6 million in the U.S. and another $ 6 million in other countries - this figure is a trace compared to U.S. $ 5.9 billion that moved through the bureau de change, since the time of Thatcher freely operating funds of criminal origin.

Following the logic of time zones, there are dozens of so-called "tax havens" that make up the main area of organized crime. A huge - and intense - laundry global, operating in real time and mounted on a technological device that works on the logic of masking and clear, digitally, all tracks - just a simple click and the money "dirty" becomes the "productive capital."

Clearly, tax havens connect and artificial satellites, around the three major financial centers worldwide: United States, European Union and Japan that is, the link with the Cosa Nostra mafia-type American, Italian, Russian, Chinese Triads and Yakuza is direct and immediate. The figures on the amount of resources from organized crime are disagreements, but "the Newsweek magazine estimates that the capital accumulated for each year by all the mafias of the world, is $ 3 trillion. Also in the field of the estimates, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the world business of money laundering movement NTA between $ 500 billion and $ 1.5 trillion dollars per year - an amount equal to 5% of production world, more than one quarter of international trade to GDP or the UK.

Of course, this figure includes drug trafficking, other forms of organized crime, political corruption and tax evasion. There are the kinds of nonsense: "Alone, the Jersey Island focused applications with a total value of $ 600 billion.

The World Wide Web (Internet), so-called internal networks of organizations (Intranets) and others like the world is also composed to support the transactions of organized crime. the world's largest network is the washing SWIFT: In 1973, the 250 largest financial institutions in Europe and the United States created a cooperative with the name of Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. Or just Swift.

The network covers the whole territory of the United States, Japan and Western Europe, and Latin America, including Brazil. Just order a Swift and a password to leave the money in an area offshore (Bahamas, for example) and between banks in Vienna, Frankfurt and Miami.

The SWIFT network has two features that much like criminal organizations: a) the possibility of multiple operations and in short space of time - facilitating the life of a current interest in clean money, b) the fact that the network is not monitored.

In other words, no and no monitoring system, intelligent, is able to detect suspicious transactions.

The technology worked out nicely for the interests of international organized crime. The Swift does not obey borders. It is the network that traffickers and terrorists move much of his fortune today. It is there that sell the product of political corruption.

In the late 1990s, during the meetings of the UN summit on organized crime, held in Naples (1994), Cairo (1995) and Vienna (March 2003), reports on the laundering of money exchanged by the representatives police from dozens of countries represented point to new strategies for the "purification of dirty money" adopted by the mafias and cartels, worldwide. In the new geopolitics of organized crime, the markets are on shore in new webs of washing international scheme.

The criminal organizations are adjusted to the process of economic globalization, which implies a relatively free flow of capital through systems. In other words, the dimensions and forms of organization of crime in the contemporary world have nothing to do with what existed two or three decades.

In the Middle East, terrorists and criminals still use the system known as Hawala, primitive, which is possible to transfer resources without the need to identify the owner and the destination. The confirmations of transfer are made by fax (the page is destroyed after this OK. Schemes would be well used by bin Laden and the followers of Alspalan Tuerkes, one of the leaders of the Turkish mafia, which controls the trafficking of heroin and weapons in Eastern Europe.

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