Occupational crime comes in many forms as documented in our text. Here are some examples:
A manufacturing company has an employee who is the company bookkeeper. This employee has virtually no oversight. A routine audit of the company books indicates several checks be issued from the company checking account to companies that no one in the manufacturing company is familiar with. An investigation indicates that for the past four years this employee has issued herself over $200,000 in checks, set up fake companies, cashed the checks all to fuel her and her husband's cocaine addiction.
Another specialty manufacturing firm hires an accountant at the executive level for a six figure salary. The accountant quickly rents a post office box in the name of a fake company. Again, a routine audit indicates that tens of thousands of dollars are being issued to several companies that no one in the manufacturing firm has ever heard of. An investigation reveals that the accountant could no longer sustain his luxurious lifestyle and needed to supplement his income be stealing from his employer.
In another case the head of the City's IT department was using official letterhead to issue letters to a computer manufacturer stating that the City had awarded the computer company hundreds of thousands of dollars in City contracts. This man then gave these forged documents to a computer salesman who used them to defraud the computer manufacturer by taking delivery of the computers and selling them. The IT director also provided to the computer salesman the prices of his competitors that were supposed to be sealed bids. This allowed the computer salesman to undercut the competition by a few dollars in order to win business.
Often we think of embezzlement and employee theft as the bank teller who takes some money from the cash drawer. But what about the cashier who allows her friends to go through her check-out line and does not scan all of her friend's items? Or who charges $5.00 for an item that is priced at $50.00?
Another case that comes to mind was an employee of a large retailer who worked in the stock room. Every night this employee would hide several DVD players in the garbage. As part of his duties one of his jobs was to throw out the garbage. The employee would then throw out the garbage and when he was off-duty would return to the store and jump into the garbage dumpster and retrieve the garbage bags containing the DVD players. He would then drive to a local pawn shop where he sold sell the items for cash. It was shown that in a three month period he had stolen $25,000 worth of merchandise.
The medical profession is also well known for white collar crime such as doctors who overcharge insurance companies or Medicare for procedures never performed. Pharmacies who sell brand name drugs that are actually black market copies of questionable ingredients, yet they charge full price.
Often it the public's lack of knowledge of the inner working of a profession that allow such crimes to be committed and go undetected. For instance, an accountant knows best how to launder money and when questioned by non-accountants is able to use terminology to confuse those who inquire. The police are often ill-equipped to investigate complaints the professions due to a lack of knowledge of the profession itself. Forensic accounting which did not exist twenty years ago is now a routine part of police work. Police departments and prosecutors routinely hire forensic accountants to examine financial records. Doctors are often retained by the police to advise them on medical issues involving fraud. IT specialists are either hired or are on staff of police department to examine computers and software, again to advise police on the actions of the suspect.
Yet, many professionals who commit crimes are often viewed differently by the public. For instance, if a person wears a mask, had a firearm, and robs a bank of $10,000 then society views that as a crime in need of a quick police response and severe punishment by the courts. Yet often when a doctor is accused of Medicare or health insurance fraud, many patients in the community come to the defense of the doctor and tell stories to the media and the court of all the great healing work that the doctor has performed over the years.
Why does society view the criminal actions of professionals differently than that of the proverbial bank robber or burglar?
In your opinion, what steps and measures can and should the police take in order to more effectively address crimes by the professions?
Do you believe the public would agree to fund increased police resources to more aggressively fight crime by the professions? Why or why not?