Combating Organized Crime in (and by) the Private Sector

Abstract

This article explores the role of the forensic investigative firm in combating the involvement of organized crime in Canada's private sector. Although the onus for organized crime enforcement has fallen exclusively on the shoulders of the state, there is a potentially meaningful role for the largest of these firms to play. This role is based on the resources and expertise of the forensic investigative industry, including former police investigators, professional researchers, forensic accountants, intelligence analysts, industry experts, a national and international structure, and an ongoing auditing and consulting relationship with industries vulnerable to organized crime. The optimal role of the forensic investigative firm is a preventive one. This includes working with industries to determine the nature and scope of the problem and helping them develop preventive polices and programs. This preventive role would complement the largely reactive role of public police in organized crime enforcement in this country.