White Collar Crimes and Political Crimes

Corporate Crimes

White Collar Crimes Committed by businesses -Differ from white collar crimes by individuals because meant to Benefit business (vs. individuals) and increase corporate profits

Street crime is counted by 3 major methods including UCR and

White collar crime is uncounted/undercounted - there is no "UCR of white collar crime" Causes public to define crime as whatever UCR counts (Street crime)

Number of deaths + economic loss Street crimes vs. White collar crime

White collar has many more

Transnational corporate crime

corporations repeat many of these corporate crimes overseas (unsafe workplace, unsafe products, pollution of land)

UCR states

street criminals are mostly low income and minorities, But are low income people really more criminal than middle class or upper class people?

White Collar Crime

-Crimes committed by businesses or individuals in the course of otherwise respected or legitimate occupations -Crimes committed to obtain money, property or some personal or corporate advantage

Why are these costly violent crimes ignored or poorly counted by UCR

1. Police depts do not monitor white collar crimes 2. Most white collar & corporate crimes are suppose to be monitored & punished by government regulatory bodies (FDA, SEC, OSHA, NRC, FDIC, etc.) 3. However, regulatory bodies often fail to monitor or punish white collar/ corporate crimes for a number of reasons: lobbying, revolving door, regulators under funded, and understaffed

What are the crimes committed by legitimate authority by using illegal or illegitimate use of power

1. Political Repression/ Human Rights Violations -Genocide -State violence & surveillance against labor protestors, protesters against racism, antiwar protesters 2. Unethical/Illegal Experiments 3. Violations of citizen's rights (illegal search & seizure, police brutality, unlawful use of deadly force, denial of right to vote)

What political uses does UCR focus on street crimes (vs. white collar) have?

1. Suggests street crimes are more serious than white collar crimes 2. Justifies existence of police and prisons 3.Deflects attention from white collar crimes committed by affluent -instead focuses attention on street crimes where low income & minorities have high rates 4. Influences crime theories causing many to focus on class and race differences in crime

Why are these political crimes ignored or downplayed by UCR?

1. The state does not investigate itself -Investigate reporting by news media often reveals these crimes 2. State does not always define these acts as crimes (police use of deadly force, voter suppression) 3. These crimes also get softened when the government succeeds in discrediting its dissenters (rebels)

Crimes that result in the greatest injury, death and loss of property are more likely to be committed by..

Affluent and powerful; White collar and corporate crimes

Occupational Crime

Committed by individual for personal gain 1. Employee Theft (pilferage) 2.Embezzlement 3. Fraud (physician fraud, insider trading, Ponzi Schemes)

Political Crimes

Crimes by Government (State Crimes) "Crimes" committed by government against its citizens -These crimes involve the illegal or illegitimate use of power by those in legitimate authority

Example of Accounting Fraud

ENRON In 2000: stock sold for $84/share and employed 20,000 people Investigation showed had inflated value of stock by overstating earnings, hiding losses By 2001: stock sells for $1/share and file for bankruptcy; creates many victims -lay off 4,000 workers -individual investors and pension funds lost billions of money

Occupational/Physician Fraud Example

MD's overcharge or overbill patients for own profit -unnecessary RX, surgeries Can cause injury or death to patients as with adverse drug reactions (violence) When MD's overbill Medicare/Medicaid patients - cost taxpayers estimated $100 billion/ yr

White collar is divided into three types

Occupational crimes; Corporate crimes, Transnational crimes

Collective Embezzlement Example

S&L Execs embezzled their depositors' funds and 650 S&L failed in 1980s Individual deposits insured up to $100,000 by FSLIC (now FDIC) We taxpayers fund FDIC & had to pay depositors back and are still paying - estimates cost taxpayers $300-$500 billion by 2030

Why does the public define crime as whatever UCR counts (street crime)?

Street crime is counted by 3 major methods including UCR and White collar crime is uncounted/undercounted - there is no "UCR of white collar crime"

Corporate Crimes include

Tax evasion and corporate theft (accounting frauds)

Corporate Violence

Violent crimes committed by corporations that result in injury and death stem from: 1. Unsafe workplaces/ unsafe working conditions (victimize workers) (coal mine) 2. Production of Unsafe Products (victimize consumers) 3. Pollution of land, air, water with toxic wastes (victimize general public)

Why do Americans fear street crime (Part I, Part II crimes)?

Violent victimization-injury or death Property crime victimization- loss of property or money