For a lot of people, the term “organized crime” conjures up images of backroom mafia deals or highly structured street gangs dealing drugs and getting engaged in turf wars. But like everything else in the world, things are changing.
“We are witnessing the emergence of smaller, more agile criminal groups that lack the hierarchical structure traditionally associated with larger crime syndicates,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy told a House committee in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday.
“These groups, often referred to as crews, typically consist of adults who recruit minors to participate in their criminal endeavors.”
She argued the rise in carjackings seen around the region in recent years is a reflection of this new type of organized activity.
“We have to do something about these types of groups that are getting together and engaging in these criminal enterprises across our state, and are recruiting our young people to engage in these criminal enterprises, whether it’s for money, whether it’s for brand new Jordans, whether it’s a brand new coat, or whatever the case might be, because this has to stop,” argued District 22 Del. Nicole Williams, who is sponsoring House Bill 1053 on behalf of Braveboy and other prosecutors in the state.
“I have seniors in my community who are afraid to leave their home late at night because they’re afraid of getting carjacked. And that is not acceptable,” she added.
Braveboy said chop shops and anyone benefiting from carjackings would be culpable if a teenager carjacks someone.
“They may not be the ones who are performing the carjackings, but they are absolutely benefiting from carjackings and other violent crimes that have occurred in our communities,” she said.
Under the legislation, people operating in groups as small as three would fall under the new definition being proposed again this year.
“You no longer talk about the Bloods and the Crips, you’re looking at small gangs, maybe one or two cars to stop, pull up, blocking the individuals, carjack them, take their car off and move on,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
“Those are the crews in terms of ‘We need to go ahead and hold them accountable.’ Instead of just having one charge to hold them accountable … now, in an organized gang statute, we can hold them accountable, all of them together. This bill expands the legal definition of criminal organization underlying crime by providing comprehensive framework for identifying and prosecuting organized criminal activities,” he said.
And some of Braveboy’s top deputies in Prince George’s County told lawmakers that drug trafficking and crimes of sexual violence, often involving young girls, would also be a new underlying crime meant to go after more bad characters who only loosely work together. A representative from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office also wants additional crimes involving the use of a firearm, as well as prison contraband charges, to also fall under the umbrella.
No one testified against the bill during its hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. However, a similar effort by Braveboy last year failed to become law.
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