Suchergebnisse

Discussed are issues pertinent to the use of electronic surveillance in the fight against organized crime. While most law enforcement officials favor the use of wiretapping, civil libertarians regard this practice as a violation of privacy contrary to the Fourth Amendment, as well as ineffective in the prosecution of organized criminals. In a 1974 study supporting the civil liberties position, Herman Schwartz found fewer than 25% of wiretapped conversations for 1968-1970 to be incriminating, & even those did not result in a very high conviction rate, about 15% ("Six Years of Tapping and Bugging," Civil Liberties Review, 1974, 26). Kinds of surveillance are reviewed, as are current legal procedures for warranted wiretapping. Wiretapping can threaten civil liberties when used either for political purposes or illegally against criminal suspects. Of course, organized crime also threatens individual liberties. Wiretapping can be effective against organized crime when used within the provisions of the Fourth Amendment. Modified Author Summary.