Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course will offer students an opportunity learn about the origins and development of various crime families, terrorists, gangs and other fringe groups that commit crimes or have criminal intentions, how they affect society and the criminal justice processes as opposed to street crime, and how the various law enforcement and criminal justice components detect, investigate and combat these groups. Criteria will include information on groups that act locally, nationally and internationally.

The material in this course will be presented in lecture and discussion format. Other educational methods, including guest speakers or presenters, research papers, films and videos, field trips, small group projects, and community-based (service learning) out-of-classroom experience, may be employed. Readings from books, journals and periodicals pertaining to organized crime may be used.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Describe the history and development of terrorism.
• Describe how organized crime affects society and the criminal justice processes, especially as opposed to street crime.
• Describe the methods used by various law enforcement and criminal justice components to detect, investigate, and combat organized crime and its consequences.
• Identify the various organized families, terrorist groups, gangs and other fringe groups that operate with criminal intent.

Student’s progress will be evaluated and criteria for assigning a course grade by the following tools: assignments, chapter questions and discussion, special interest paper or debate, participation in group and class discussion, thirty-five motivating activities, attendance and final exam.

• Defining and examining various terrorist groups.
• Methodology of terrorism.
• Theories of terrorists and terrorism.
• Means of establishing power bases.
• Explosive devices and various weapons
• Enforcement strategies
• Impact on the criminal justice system and society.