Pubdate: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC) Copyright: 2005, BC Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948 Author: Beth Blackburn, RCMP Note: Const. Beth Blackburn is with the RCMP's Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness unit. ORGANIZED CRIME AFFECTS ALL OF US EVERYDAY Have you ever thought that organized crime is just something that you read about in the local paper or hear about on the evening newscast and wonder does this really affect me in my everyday life? Most Canadians do not think that organized crime groups affect them, but in fact, they do. I am going to share with you some of the impacts that organized crime has on your everyday life. Organized crime groups have one philosophy most money=least risk. They are looking for ways to attain the most profit with the least amount of risk (usually from the legal system). One of the most common commodities that organized crime groups are involved in is drugs, but they do not exclusively target illicit drugs. Organized crime groups also are marketing counterfeit goods including prescription medications. Counterfeit prescription drugs are weaker and less effective, threatening the overall health and safety of Canadians. Financially, organized crime activities are one reason why both our savings and our spending money have dwindled in recent years. How does it affect your take home pay? - - Health care costs -- by us paying for the increased costs related to drug addicted people. - - Taxes (property & income) -- paying for increased policing costs, insurance premiums, costs of money laundering effects on our local economy. - - Electricity costs -- increases to your hydro bill for theft of hydro or hydro diversions for drug operations. - - Banking Fees -- as a profit-seeking business, banks need to recover bank fraud costs by billing regular customers. - - Credit Card - fees for your credit cards increase due to identity theft and fraud. It is estimated that economic crime committed by organized crime groups cost Canadians $5 billion every year. For a family of four that's $600 per year that is taken from your pocket into the hands of organized crime. Not only are the affects monetary but organized crime groups also create fear in our everyday lives. Through violence, intimidation, and corruption, it affects our confidence in our most fundamental sources of solace: our home, our neighbourhood, our community and how safe we feel in each of these. Be vigilant and be aware that organized crime impacts you. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake