Understanding the Mafia

Part 20 - A recent survey exposes Canadians’ knowledge of organized crime

How do we cope with organized crime? How much do we know about it? Which crimes do we connect it with? How do we think our country should be defended from this global emergency? These were the subjects of a study commissioned by the Solicitor General to the Angus Reid Group Inc., Canada’s top surveyors.
The survey was conducted on 1,509 Canadians and resulted in some interesting facts.
Few surveys had grappled this issue in such detail: this is the reason why the job done by Reid is an important starting point in understanding our reality. As the Angus Reid institute wrote, "results will be useful not only for the RCMP, but also for politicians and cultural operators." Organized crime, in fact, must be fought on two fronts: prevention and repression (and this is the field for politicians and police forces) and knowledge (spreading awareness on this phenomenon is a task for cultural operators, from schools to social structures.)
According to the survey, we tend to identify organized crime with: drug dealing (30 percent,) gang violence (28 percent,), prostitution (26 percent,) smuggling (15 percent), car theft (13 percent,) and money-laundering (10 percent.)
One element is outstanding: the low percentage (10 per cent) of people who relate organized crime with money-laundering, while in reality this is the economic engine of all the mobs operating in this country.
"Cleaning up" dirty money coming from illicit sources means allowing the "white collar Mafia" (the emerging Mafia, dangerous because unknown) to carry out unscrupulous economic operations that further strengthen the organization.
The fact that organized crime is not seen as related to "white collar" activities is also demonstrated by another survey, made by Environics: those Canadians who consider financial crimes a priority for governmental intervention are a minority.
"People tend to see what’s going on around them as a crime," explains Professor Carmelo Carabetta, who teaches Sociology at the University of Messina. "They only decode what is nearest to them, that’s why they don’t perceive white collar crime as a threat."
It is, however, a consolation that the fight against organized crime is considered a priority by more than three quarters of the people interviewed by Angus Reid.
Who should fight organized crime? Eighty-three percent of the people answered that this was the federal government’s job, but people also think that provincial governments and municipal authorities should also play their part.
The survey, then, goes deeper, asking which were the crimes surely related to organized crime.
Eighty-six percent opted for high-profile drug dealing; 83 percent chose the import of drugs; 64 percent said it was illegal gambling; for 60 percent it was drug peddling on the streets; 58 percent talked about money-laundering; 51 percent opted for cigarettes or liquor smuggling; 42 percent underscored trafficking illegal immigrants to Canada; 41 percent pinpointed car thefts; 26 percent chose stock market swindles; and 25 percent said it was illegal dumping of dangerous waste.
These answers confirm an underestimation of the "white collar" activities: the two offences most closely related to financial crimes (money-laundering and stock market swindles) are among those less frequently related to Mafia-like activities.
Moreover, the least considered crime is illegal recycling of dangerous and toxic waste; while this is precisely the emerging business of the so-called "EcoMafia."
Recently, Italy included environmental crimes in the law against organized crime.
The surveyors made a note about this, declaring that it is necessary to have a public information campaign in order to make people understand that criminal organizations do not limit themselves to importing and distributing illicit drugs.
However, a widespread alarm is present, as can be seen by another element: almost half of the population believes that organized crime is on the rise. The highest rate is in Vancouver, among people over 65, as well as homemakers; the lowest perception is in Toronto and Montreal and among students.
Groups "at risk," i.e. those who can become victims of organized crime, are, according to the survey, the young (84 percent,) the ethnic groups (73 percent,) women (59 percent,) seniors (55 percent) and Natives (53 percent.)
"In this case, we must distinguish," says Professor Carabetta, "passive victims from active ones. The former are the object of a crime, while the latter are indirect victims who can be represented by the young, or the ethnic groups." According to Carabetta, in fact, the young yield more easily to the lure of easy gain, while minority groups, often with identity problems and not yet fully integrated, are more vulnerable.
"In any case, we should not confuse organized crime with micro crime," Carabetta clarifies. "Canadian public opinion has a ‘virtual’ vision of organized crime, whereas in Italy we feel it every day on our own skin."
Vision excepted, people seem to have clear ideas about whose responsibility it is to fight organized crime in Canada.
Over 90 percent of those interviewed (particularly in Alberta and Manitoba) think the federal government should spend more on combating organized crime. This priority is judged more importantly than international relief (by 85 percent of the people surveyed,) new expenditures on armaments (80 percent,) improving the quality of life for Natives (66 percent,) equality of wages (64 percent) and public debt reduction (53 percent.) Only public health takes priority over the fight against organized crime, according to 88 percent of those surveyed.
People also want banks to report suspicious transfers of money (87 percent) and want all cash movements over $10,000 to be reported to Canada Customs.
Moreover, people want more information: 65 percent declared they would like to receive printed material; 62 percent would like an 800 telephone number to be set up with additional information; 49 percent would like tobe able to receive help from local community organizations; and 44 percent would like to avail themselves of an Internet information site.

(translated by Emanuele Oriano)

Publication Date: 2001-06-24
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=101