Discussion and Assignments

Discussion

1.Discuss the four traditional key measures used to evaluate police. Do you believe these are sufficient to gain an accurate assessment of officers?

2.In your city, which of the Houston Police Department’s techniques for reducing the fear of crime might be most effective? Why?

Assignment-1500 words

1. In his Canadian study, Chris Braiden found that bike thefts resulted in 15 times the dollar loss when compared to bank robberies. What implications does this study have, if any, for the provision of police services?

2. Discuss the reasons for citizen delays when calling the police. Does this have any impact on the police’s ability to solve the crime? Why or why not?

3. The research discussed in the text regarding fear of crime indicates some degree of irrationality. Discuss the discrepancies between the results of these studies, including the demographic descriptors of those most fearful and those least victimized by crime.

4.Discuss the ways in which print and television media impact citizen fear of crime. Include a description of the relevant research discussed in the text.

Investigation Of Organize Crime/Domestic Organized Crime Groups

Discussion

1.Describe how each of the organized crime groups fit the structural definitions discussed in the second module.

2.Imagine you are a sheriff of a rural community with one deputy assigned to your office. Recently you have found gang graffiti from the group MS13. What would you do?

Assessment-500 words each/Investigation Of Organize Crime/Domestic Organized Crime Groups

1.Explain the unique dynamics of domestic organized crime in the United States. Include your opinion of why you think this is true.

2.Explain how the emergence of black organized crime parallels that of the outlaw motorcycle gangs.

3.Define the ways in which prison gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs operate similarly. Provide supporting evidence.

4.Describe how the awareness of rural organized crime better prepares society for combating the problem of organized crime in general.

Investigation Of White Collar Crimes/Corporate Fraud

Discussion

1.Look into the big accounting firms. Way back when, they were known as Big 8 accounting firms. How many are there now? Should there be more or fewer?

2.There is nothing wrong with being rich. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Malcolm Forbes, Steve Forbes—for other names look at Forbes magazine’s list of rich Americans. Many of these people had to be very aggressive to get where they are today. How are the individuals profiled in this chapter different from other people who have accumulated wealth? The Rockefellers, the Kennedys, and the Gettys might also be useful for this comparison.

Investigation Of White Collar Crimes/Corporate Fraud

Assessment-1500 words

1.Research Sarbanes-Oxley. How has it changed the responsibility of people involved in companies whose stock is publicly traded? Can accounting firms still audit and accept consulting fees? How about directors and company officers—are their duties different now?

2.How much does the typical office manager, pipefitter, or sheet metal worker make in a year? Assuming that they contribute the maximum 15 percent of their paycheck into a retirement account and it earns 10 percent per year, how much would be in the individual’s retirement account after 16 years? (Don’t forget compound interest.) Were the amounts that Enron employees accumulated unusual? How much were the Enron insiders or their families/spouses left with after fines, etc.?

3.Compile information on the involvement of Vinson & Elkins. Does the information indicate that the law firm could have been implicated in criminal activity? Why or why not?