Criminology

The Long Good Friday is a film written by Derek Thompson, Barrie Keeffe, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It is about a British gangster during the late 1970s that is starred by two of its authors Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. The film was released during 1980 in United Kingdom and 1982 in United States but the movie was originally completed in 1979.  It is directed by John Mackenzie, a British film director born in Edinburgh Scotland. At first, John Mackenzie worked as an assistant director which guided him of becoming an independent and skilled director. He started directing during 1969 and The long Good Friday is the fifth film that he handled.

Bob Hoskins played the role of the leading character Harold Shand, a British gangster who aspired to become a legitimate businessman during the late 1970s. He can be described as an old fashioned mobster pushing his way through legalizing his businesses. With the aid of American Mafia funding, Harold Shand proposed of redeveloping the London Docklands (one of the neglected part of London). The purpose of restoring the place is for good cause, after restoring the London Docklands it will be used as a place for future Olympic Games. The story is intertwined with illegal businesses such as gun-running, police corruption and political corruption. It also demonstrates transformation of traditional British industry with land development, free market economy and Britains entry to the European Union.

Harold Shand is known as a feared ruler of London underworld where he is acknowledged as the kingpin of British gangster. His life suddenly shattered into pieces when a series of killings and explosions unexpectedly erupted made by a mysterious enemy. Most of the subsequent line of story is the endeavor of the main character to discover the perpetrator behind the killings and bombings. His continues search for the person behind the scene only came to an unexpected finding. The killings were only the result of a small-time tawdriness of the business he desires to legalize.

The plot made its turning point from the suddenly killings and betrayal by one of the trusted men of Harold Shand. The allegation only becomes apparent during the highlight of the movie where a solution is recommended although not clearly stated. He applied the same viciousness to go deeper upon the information of the perpetrator, a method that made him notoriously known. But the enemies besides his local rivals had a different path of motivations and took advantage of the situation to bring him down.

Due to the successive incidents of killings, representatives of the American Mafia decided to leave England for their own safety. Unlike the American Mafia representatives who flee for their lives, Harold Shand remained in England who is determined and decided to continue pursue his ambition. Holding the unbreakable will to become a legitimate businessman, he ignored the high possibility of him being killed. The time have come to face his fate, after leaving the hotel, he gets into his car without noticing that it was taken over by two IRA (Irish Republican Army) men where he is quickly driven out of the hotel zone. Harold was then pointed by a gun from an unknown man sitting at the front seat and at that moment, Harold knew that the time has come for his end.

The group of Harold Shand portrayed in the movie can be considered as an organized crime or criminal organization where it depicts a highly centralized enterprise controlled by criminals. One of the illegal activities that the mob in the film performs is gun-running which can be considered as a vital aspect to identify a group of people engaging in illegal activities as an organized crime. It is more complicated to define organized crime, most of the people who have knowledge about mafia, gangsters or mobsters and people who are aware of some movies like Godfather, The Sopranos or even the Goodfellas may have different account regarding organized crimes. The most common description that can be asserted regarding criminal organizations is that it is a highly organized and disciplined association of group of criminals engaging in unlawful activities for the purpose of earning money. Organized crime can be recognized by eight dimensions of framework (1) ideology, (2) structureorganized hierarchy, (3) continuity, (4) violenceuse of force or the threat of force, (5) restricted membershipbonding, (6) illegal enterprises, (7) penetration of legitimate businesses, (8) corruption. In the movie, it is stated that the leading character (Harold Shand) wants to be a legitimate businessman. Although it is not clear in the movie if there is a hidden agenda behind his real motive of becoming a legitimate businessman, the concept of penetration of legitimate business falls in one of the eight dimensions of recognizing an organized crime. Corruption (police and political corruption) as stated in the film is also included in the eight dimensions of framework where the movie can be certainly stressed that it concerns about organized crime.

Organized crime is well known of having a hierarchy, like in the movie that demonstrates the various levels of persons in the association. These criminal organizations have well-structured hierarchy having a boss and a subordinates which is usually in descending order of authority. Within the group, members also have different function in planning a crime but there is always someone behind who command the actions of every member.

In order for an organized crime to flourished and survive, there must be a support coming from the community where the organization exist. It is often essential to corrupt some of the respected members of the community through bribery and black mail. It is also crucial for the criminal organizations to bribe law enforcer, judge and legislator in order to control the law which govern them. As indicated in the movie where police and political people are being corrupted, it only shows that the civil society is disorganized and weak. Organized crimes take this advantage in controlling such officials in order for them to prosper. Due to these circumstances (time of political, economic and social turmoil) criminal organizations can carry out their illegal activities with ease. Controlling the officials let them operate with little fear from law enforcement.  

Even though organized crimes can take a hold of the law (temporarily), there would come a time that the organization will go down. Officials are not permanent where they will be replaced by new officials that organized crime might have problem bribing or controlling. Although that is the case, new organized crime will still continue to emerge. There is also a possibility that the boss or the head of the group may be arrested or get killed like in the movie (Harold Shand being caught by the IRA) which signifies the end of the association. In that circumstance, the group may still exist due to one of the eight dimensions of framework of organized crime (continuity). As Fickenauer stated Continuity means that the group is self-perpetuating continuing beyond the life or participation of any particular individual. Bosses who die, or go to jail, are replaced by new bosses. Others may drop out, for various reasons, but the organization  like its counterparts in the non  criminal world - continues.

Organized crime may also be defined as transnational crime. The term transnational crime is normally used by law enforcer to define a systematic crime that occurs across national border. Transnational crimes also include crimes that are conducted inside the country but have a significant effect to other country. It may also be defined as systematic illegal activity that links two different criminal organizations from different countries. In the movie, it is evident that the mob of Harold Shand is also involved in a transnational crime. The British gangster is connected to American Mafia where it can be assumed that he is associated to some illegitimate activities that may involve the American Mafia. Most of the organized crimes start at several legitimate and illegitimate businesses that eventually will lead them to conducting transnational crime. These start at traditional crime activities such as prostitution, drug circulation, gambling, violence and debt collection. After successfully producing money, they start to enter legitimate business to expand the income of the group. Some of this business that they expand theyre influence are stock market, wholesale markets, food industry and stock market. Although an organized crime manage to acquire such influence, conducting transnational crime still require highly systematic and specialized methods in conducting the illegal activity. It is not likely to happen that an organized crime will operate in human smuggling operation and at the same time be involved in drug trafficking.

Transnational crime (crimes across the national border) are usually temporary not like traditional crimes that may last a long time. The reason for this is that transnational crimes usually happens in response to current criminal opportunities unlike the traditional crime that already exist in a certain place and still continue to survive.

One of the biggest threats regarding securing human, social, economic, political and cultural development of a society is greatly threatened by transnational crime. It is apparent in different activities globally such as drug trafficking, firearms smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering. The biggest income generating transnational crime is drug trafficking where it is also the most prevalent problem the world is facing. In order to prevent such activity, it is best to enhance the international cooperation of every country.