147 lines
7.8 KiB
Plaintext
147 lines
7.8 KiB
Plaintext
|
June 1990
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
B.L.O.C.: BUSINESS LEADERS AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mike King
|
|||
|
|
Administrative Assistant
|
|||
|
|
Weber County, Utah, Attorney's Office
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
How many times has the lack of funding cut short an
|
|||
|
|
undercover operation for local law enforcement? ``Too often'' is
|
|||
|
|
unfortunately the answer. Most law enforcement budgets can
|
|||
|
|
barely pay reactive costs, let alone proactive ones. However, in
|
|||
|
|
Weber County, Utah, a funding source has been found that has
|
|||
|
|
reaped substantial benefits for both the police department and
|
|||
|
|
the community. That funding source is B.L.O.C.--Business Leaders
|
|||
|
|
Against Organized Crime.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
B.L.O.C. is a private corporation formed of businessmen and
|
|||
|
|
community leaders with the goal of promoting a safer, crime-free
|
|||
|
|
community. Organized in June 1987, its original mission was to
|
|||
|
|
provide additional funding and equipment to assist local law
|
|||
|
|
enforcement in completing on-going undercover ``sting''
|
|||
|
|
operations. However, B.L.O.C. also offers assistance for
|
|||
|
|
operations targeted against drug interdictions, property crimes
|
|||
|
|
and white-collar crimes, as well as for specialized training of
|
|||
|
|
police officers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ORGANIZATION
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Law enforcement professionals defined specific goals,
|
|||
|
|
policies and procedures when organizing B.L.O.C. A good
|
|||
|
|
reputation in the community and a sincere commitment to eliminate
|
|||
|
|
the criminal elements were essential criteria for a business to
|
|||
|
|
be admitted into B.L.O.C. Also, B.L.O.C. was structured as a
|
|||
|
|
corporation, with ``articles of incorporation,'' to provide a
|
|||
|
|
protective shield for the corporation's officers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The corporation's board of directors consists of a
|
|||
|
|
president, first vice president, second vice president, and
|
|||
|
|
corporate accountant, each with respective duties and
|
|||
|
|
responsibilities. The current president is a former police
|
|||
|
|
officer who has an understanding of both law enforcement and
|
|||
|
|
business community needs. As direct liaison between the police
|
|||
|
|
department and the corporate membership, the president receives
|
|||
|
|
all the basic information regarding each operation (type of
|
|||
|
|
offense, necessary property or finances to conclude a successful
|
|||
|
|
operation, possible length of operation, etc.) and then
|
|||
|
|
approaches the membership for approval to disburse funds or
|
|||
|
|
equipment. At no time, however, is any confidential information
|
|||
|
|
about the operation relayed to the president by the law
|
|||
|
|
enforcement agency requesting assistance.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first vice president is usually an elected public
|
|||
|
|
official. This person acts as a direct liaison with the
|
|||
|
|
corporation's accountant and is responsible for the annual audit
|
|||
|
|
of the program, which reports all findings to the board of
|
|||
|
|
directors. The first vice president also cosigns with the
|
|||
|
|
president and second vice president all disbursements to law
|
|||
|
|
enforcement for individual operations and projects.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The second vice president is generally a private citizen who
|
|||
|
|
is publicly recognized for community service and civic
|
|||
|
|
responsibility. This person maintains membership records,
|
|||
|
|
enlists new members, and cosigns all payouts to law enforcement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The corporation's accountant is an accredited CPA with over
|
|||
|
|
10 years of major account experience. The accountant maintains
|
|||
|
|
records of all financial transactions and completes all the
|
|||
|
|
necessary tax forms.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
From the beginning, B.L.O.C. was incorporated as a nonprofit
|
|||
|
|
organization, which allowed member businesses to deduct their
|
|||
|
|
donations, thereby adding a degree of credibility to the
|
|||
|
|
organization. The local IRS service center furnished the
|
|||
|
|
required forms and guidelines to make application for the tax
|
|||
|
|
exempt status. However, some jurisdictions could employ a local
|
|||
|
|
attorney with the necessary expertise or a district attorney with
|
|||
|
|
extensive civil law experience to process the tax-exempt
|
|||
|
|
application.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FINANCING
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Money to fund the operation is collected through yearly
|
|||
|
|
dues, approximately $100 per year, although some of the larger
|
|||
|
|
businesses voluntarily contribute larger amounts. By keeping the
|
|||
|
|
annual fee to a minimum, busineses are more willing to join in
|
|||
|
|
the effort. The funds are invested in high-yield interest
|
|||
|
|
accounts, and the interest is used to finance projects or as
|
|||
|
|
``buy'' money. The initial investment is kept intact to provide
|
|||
|
|
for a continuous source of funding; only the interest is spent.
|
|||
|
|
If the interest is expended, the corporation requests additional
|
|||
|
|
funds from the membership, as needed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Of course, there is always the possibility the program will
|
|||
|
|
be dissolved. If this does occur, the remaining finances will be
|
|||
|
|
used to purchase equipment for area law enforcement agencies.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One major concern for potential members was the issue of
|
|||
|
|
liability to officers or members of the corporation. However,
|
|||
|
|
members are assured that because they have no control over how a
|
|||
|
|
police operation is conducted, they have no responsibility, and
|
|||
|
|
this is conveyed to both the police and the corporation's
|
|||
|
|
membership.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OPERATIONS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Affording contributors an opportunity to designate how
|
|||
|
|
funds are used is one of B.L.O.C.'s major strengths. However,
|
|||
|
|
most donations are pooled and spent at the discretion of the
|
|||
|
|
board of directors. Members are advised that the monies are
|
|||
|
|
directly used to fight organized criminal activities (but not for
|
|||
|
|
officers' salaries) or to provide specialized training to law
|
|||
|
|
enforcement personnel.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To request assistance, the commanding officer of an
|
|||
|
|
undercover operation contacts the president. In the majority of
|
|||
|
|
cases, the request is usually for extra finances. But requests
|
|||
|
|
have also been made for equipment, vehicles, safe house
|
|||
|
|
locations, or other services that the corporation's membership
|
|||
|
|
can provide. There is no limit to the amount or types of lawful
|
|||
|
|
donations that the membership can provide.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Another important facet of B.L.O.C. is the recognition given
|
|||
|
|
to local law enforcement officers at an annual banquet for
|
|||
|
|
exceptional deeds and accomplishments. Many city, county, State,
|
|||
|
|
and Federal officials attend the awards banquet to honor officers
|
|||
|
|
for their outstanding work. The extensive media coverage
|
|||
|
|
provided these events also garners community support for
|
|||
|
|
B.L.O.C. and law enforcement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
B.L.O.C. is paying big dividends for law enforcement and the
|
|||
|
|
community. Because of B.L.O.C., many undercover operations that
|
|||
|
|
would have ceased have been allowed to continue, thereby
|
|||
|
|
permitting major organized crime figures to be identified and
|
|||
|
|
charged. Over the past 2 years, B.L.O.C. assisted Weber County
|
|||
|
|
police agencies with undercover operations resulting in over 80
|
|||
|
|
felony arrests, the recovery of over $80,000 in property, and
|
|||
|
|
seizures of over $100,000 worth of illegal drugs. In Weber
|
|||
|
|
County, B.L.O.C. demonstrates that law enforcement and the
|
|||
|
|
private sector can work together to combat the criminal elements
|
|||
|
|
that plague their community.
|
|||
|
|
|