Rival views of organized crimes

Since the mid-1990s concern has been growing over the expansion of organised crime in the SADC region. Most new research and policy debates focus on the activities and interests of organised crime roups and the most effective strategies to combat their further development. However, much of this work has precede a serious discussion on what organised crime is-or is not. This monograph introduces the reader to the main debates on the definition of organised crime and provides an overview of some of the most important studies in this area. It presents four models of criminal co-ordination based on contracting studies of famous crime groups, such as the Sicilian Mafia. It continues with a history of a mainstream view of organised crime that originated in the 1930s and now influences the majority of official definitions, both globally and in the SADC region. Critiquing this perspective, the monograph argues that organised crime has lost its worth as an analytical concept. An alternative perspective is offered, shifting the focus away from criminal organisations and towards specific commodity and service economies. This change in the underlying unit of analysis may help overcome some of the shortcomings of law enforcement, policy decisions and research in this field.