Course Reflection

During the past few modules, you completed various assignments that were designed to enhance your overall knowledge about the business of organized crime. In Module 1, you applied different theories to explain the criminal behavior of organized crime groups.

Subsequent assignments afforded you an opportunity to discuss the business interests of organized crime groups and also identify the types of domestic groups that exist in the United States. You learned how organized crime groups affect both political and law enforcement groups. Moreover, you were placed in situations in which you had to apply what you were learning about organized crime.

Now that you have taken an in-depth look at organized crime, by the due date assigned, in a minimum of 250 words, post to the Discussion Area how your views of organized crime may have changed. Include responses to the following:

Discuss your thoughts prior to completing the assignments in the course.

Discuss at least three specific points of knowledge you have gained and explain why these are important to you. Also, ponder these questions:

Why does the media influence the way people view organized crime?

Why are people unaware of the existence of organized crime groups in the United States?

Is the use of theory useful in explaining the behaviors of members of organized crime groups? Explain.

What are your views on whether domestic organized crime groups present a bigger threat to society than groups operating outside the United States?

Discuss at least two specific ideas or points of view you gained from your classmates, via the discussion postings that you had not previously considered.

Analyzing the Business of Organized Crime

This LASA is designed to provide an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the business practices of organized crime and to assess changes in organized crime syndicates in America. Secondly, this LASA is designed to provide an opportunity to evaluate investigatory government initiatives and their approach to prosecution of organized crime.

You are a research consultant hired to analyze the business of organized crime in the United States of America. As a consultant you must explain to a group of law enforcement representatives and stakeholders from the community how organized crime has evolved from its early beginnings to its current level of operations. Your explanation must include a description of how the groups have profited from their businesses. You will describe and evaluate the initiatives of government that seek to investigate and prosecute organized crime group members. Include information that reports how corporate and political alliances impact such government initiatives. The final part of your presentation will include a summary of the future outlook for organized crime.

Create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes using the following instructions:

Instructions:

Present an overview of the early beginnings of organized crime in the United States of America and discuss why history is important in addressing the problem. Include the identity of the different groups operating within the United States of America and explain why the identification of such groups is relevant to addressing the problem of organized crime.

Evaluate the evolution of organized crime and how it has developed into huge profits for the groups.

Compare and contrast at least three government initiatives that are used to investigate and prosecute organized crime members. (For example: How does the war on crime impact organized crime? This is just one example.)

Analyze how corporate and political alliances impact government initiatives designed to investigate and prosecute group members of organized crime.

Summarize the future outlook for organized crime.

Include a cover slide and at least one slide at the end of your presentation to reference your sources formatted in APA style that links back to your in-text citations and supports your recommendations. Remember, you cannot have only in-text citations or only references, you must have both because in-text citations and references are adjoined; they link to each other.

Submission Details:

Save the final presentation as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.ppt.

By the due date assigned, submit your final presentation to the Submissions Area.