Crime Research in the Process of Comprehensively Building a Well-off Society

Author: Kang Shuhua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The growth of crime is a global issue today, and our country, which is in the process of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, is also plagued by the serious intensification of crime. This book combines theory and practice, conducting a comprehensive and in-depth study of crime during China's process of building a moderately prosperous society. The book is composed of five parts: Basic Concept Theory, International Crime Theory, Domestic Crime Theory, Comparative Crime Theory, and Crime Prevention Theory. It provides scientific answers to the status, causes, patterns, and effective governance strategies for the growth of crime. Since the reform and opening-up, China has implemented a market economy system. With the further development of building a moderately prosperous society, the introduction of advanced science and technology, and frequent foreign exchanges, the crime in China has also diversified. Crimes that were once eradicated in China, such as prostitution, human trafficking, drug abuse, and drug trafficking, have resurfaced with great intensity. New types of crimes, such as environmental pollution, computer crimes, and cyber crimes, have also emerged and are rapidly increasing, drawing widespread attention from society. Why has crime increased despite economic development, improved living standards, and enhanced national strength? Will the phenomenon of "economic development leading to chaotic public order and rampant crime" seen in Western developed countries also be repeated in China? What are the reasons behind the serious intensification of crime in China? These questions have become common concerns for many people today. To address these issues, Comrade Qiang Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, proposed the research topic "Crime Research in the Process of Building a Moderately Prosperous Society" in 2002. The Beijing Municipal Party Committee's Public Security Commission entrusted the Beijing Law Society to carry out this research project. The Beijing Law Society asked me to lead this project. With strong support from the Public Security Commission and the planning and guidance of Comrade Wang Tong, President of the Beijing Law Society, the Beijing Law Society applied for project approval to the China Law Society on my behalf and obtained approval. Looking back two years ago, when we faced the research topic "Crime Research in the Process of Building a Moderately Prosperous Society," we had many reflections. The main ones are as follows: First, we found the topic novel, timely, and pioneering; second, through years of teaching and research in criminology, I deeply felt that although building a moderately prosperous society in a peaceful environment would encounter many problems and setbacks, the most destructive of these would be crime; third, I deeply felt that the happiness of a moderately prosperous society was hard-won, and we should work together to promote the smooth development of building a moderately prosperous society, a great cause cherished by the Chinese nation since ancient times; fourth, through this research, if we could identify the laws of crime and propose targeted countermeasures, play a role in preventing and reducing crime during the governance process, and protect the hard-won achievements from crime, it would be as if we were also immersed in building a moderately prosperous society. Driven by these thoughts, we deeply felt the honor and significance of this research topic. The growth of crime is a global issue today, and our country, which is in the process of building a moderately prosperous society, is also plagued by the serious intensification of crime. Development requires stability, the need to curb the malignant growth of crime, and the need for criminology theorists and comrades working in public security and law enforcement departments to work hand in hand to conduct in-depth research and investigation. This is to provide scientific answers to the status, causes, patterns, and effective governance strategies for the growth of crime. Based on this sense of social responsibility, the Beijing leadership designated it as a research topic, and the Beijing Law Society applied it as a key research project. After two years of collecting data, holding multiple meetings for discussion, and the research team working tirelessly and revising repeatedly, the results have finally been presented to the readers in the form of this monograph. This monograph is divided into five parts and nineteen chapters. Part I is Basic Concept Theory, consisting of three chapters. It primarily discusses what constitutes a moderately prosperous society, the proposal and basic connotations of building a moderately prosperous society, and a horizontal comparison between a moderately prosperous society and modernization. Part II is International Crime Theory, consisting of three chapters. First, it introduces the cases of the United States, Germany, and South Korea, where economic development has led to an increase in crime. Second, it introduces the cases of Japan and Switzerland, where economic growth has led to stable crime rates. Third, it summarizes the crime patterns in the modernization process of Western developed countries. Part III is Domestic Crime Theory, consisting of five chapters. It summarizes the status, characteristics, and countermeasures of crime under China's planned economy system and market economy system, as well as the crime patterns in China's modernization process. Part IV is Comparative Crime Theory, consisting of three chapters. First, it compares the evolution of crime subjects with international trends. Second, it compares the evolution of crime types. Finally, it compares the evolution of crime causes. Part V is Crime Prevention Theory, consisting of five chapters. First, it introduces the theory and practice of China's crime governance strategy—comprehensive social security governance. Second, it discusses the crime prevention strategy during the process of building a moderately prosperous society. Third, it discusses the crime prevention and governance strategies during the process of building a moderately prosperous society. Fourth, it explores the implementation of community correction and the improvement of correction quality. Fifth, it draws on and learns from the experiences and lessons of crime prevention during the modernization process of Western countries. The design of the book's structure aims for clear logic and rigorous organization. The content of the book aims for comprehensiveness, systematic focus, detailed data, and innovative spirit. Specifically, the features of this book are as follows: First, innovative spirit. The life of academia lies in innovation, and the essence of academic innovation lies in it. Throughout the book, it is an integrated work on criminology research. That is to say, although the book systematically discusses the crime phenomena, causes, and prevention that criminology needs to study, it does not merely stay within the framework of traditional criminology or generally discuss crime concepts, types, history, current status, causes, characteristics, and governance strategies. Instead, it closely combines practical realities, identifies crime patterns, and especially, based on actual conditions, boldly innovates and proposes new issues. For example, through the study of a large number of typical cases, the conclusion is drawn that "organized crime in China has emerged, developed, and evolved alongside the three 'strict crackdown' campaigns in 1983, 1996, and 2001. We should learn from the past experiences and lessons and avoid the negative effects of 'strict crackdown' practices due to misunderstandings. We should adhere to the 'strict crackdown' policy while also adhering to the strategy of 'combating crime and preventing crime, with prevention as the priority,' truly achieving 'strict crackdown, strict management, strict governance, and strict prevention,' and comprehensive governance and prevention." When discussing the "latest dynamics of organized crime in China," it explicitly points out that organized crime in China already exists in the form of a mafia. Based on the cases broken up in the "campaign to crack down on organized crime and gangsters" at the end of 2000, the latest dynamics of organized crime in China now fully meet the basic characteristics of a mafia organization. Classifying such crimes as "crimes of an organized crime nature" no longer aligns with the current reality. At the same time, through the analysis of a large number of cases, it is particularly emphasized that "typical organized crime in China—mafia crime—has emerged and is developing toward greater severity and higher levels of organization. Its equipment is becoming more modernized, its intelligence level is increasing, its methods are becoming more cunning, and the economic sector will face infiltration by organized crime, which will become the main activity area for such crime." Second, rich data. Throughout the book, it not only utilizes a large amount of existing data but also collects much new data. A work without substantial data is like water without a source or wood without roots. The issues discussed in this book are not empty theories but are supported by specific cases or data. For example, in the International Crime Theory, we only divided the countries into two categories after accumulating a large amount of data on them. For instance, the United States, Germany, and South Korea belong to countries where economic development has led to an increase in crime, while Japan and Switzerland belong to countries where economic growth has led to stable crime rates. These are not empty discussions but conclusions drawn from a large amount of crime statistics. For example, the conclusions in the titles such as "crime status, characteristics, and patterns under China's planned economy system and market economy system," "sharp increase in crime among floating populations," "increasing prominence of official crimes," "fluctuating crime rates among adolescents," "rising proportion of female crime," and "property crimes replacing violent crimes" are all conclusions drawn from a large amount of data. Third, theoretical depth. Academic research has its inheritances, and without inheritance, there can be no development. However, inheritance does not mean simple repetition. Therefore, when writing this book, we required: to as much as possible collect the relevant achievements of others, summarize and conclude them after careful reading, and based on new problems in real life, propose our own insights and views, making the book distinctive. We also required that the book must have theoretical depth academically. The so-called "theoretical depth" means that the book must not be a mere copy of existing criminology but must have innovations and breakthroughs in both form and content. In terms of data, it must include both past data and new arguments for the present, allowing for cross-comparative research. However, comparative research is not our goal. Our goal is to use comparative research to discover the developments and changes in China's crime status, the evolution of crime subjects, the evolution of crime types, and the shortcomings and deficiencies in our crime governance, and to improve and innovate accordingly. This is our true purpose. Fourth, comprehensive and systematic, with a focus on key points. The book not only provides a relatively comprehensive introduction to the concept and origin of a moderately prosperous society but also introduces the proposal and basic connotations of building a moderately prosperous society. It also conducts a horizontal comparison between a moderately prosperous society and modernization. However, this is not the focus of the book, which is focused on the study of crime issues during the process of building a moderately prosperous society. Therefore, the book is divided into parts, chapters, and sections such as International Crime Theory, Domestic Crime Theory, Comparative Crime Theory, and Crime Prevention Theory, closely combining practical realities, and highlighting the relationship between the market economy and crime, with a focus on studying the basic characteristics and patterns of crime under the market economy. In terms of crime governance, it highlights the study of how to improve the social environment and enhance people's quality, with a particular focus on how to carry out community correction and improve correction quality, as well as learning from the experiences and lessons of crime prevention during the modernization process of Western countries. Through the introduction of the above features of the book, it can be clearly seen that the book is both theoretical and practical, with operability. Therefore, the book can not only serve as a textbook for theoretical learning and be used by higher political and legal colleges, public security and law enforcement departments, and relevant units to study criminology, but also as a good reference for leaders at all levels and practical work units in China to guide the process of building a moderately prosperous society in their actual work, and as a reading material for the general public concerned about crime issues. Looking back over the past two years, in order to complete this project, under the guidance of Comrade Qiang Wei, the support of the Public Security Commission, and the direct leadership of the Beijing Law Society, although we could not say we started from scratch, collecting a large amount of domestic and international data was not an easy task. For international data collection, we utilized the help of long-term friends, students, and scholars visiting abroad, among others. For domestic data collection, with the strong support and assistance of the Public Security Commission, we accessed relevant data from departments such as public security, procuratorates, and courts. At the same time, the comrades participating in the research team worked tirelessly, braving the dangers of the "SARS" epidemic at that time, overcoming the heat and cold, and successively visited libraries such as the Library of China University of Political Science and Law, the Law School of Peking University, the Procuratorate College Library, the Beijing Library, and Xinhua Bookstore to extensively read and collect data. As for the scholars participating in the research team, their hardships in writing need not be elaborated, but their dedicated spirit of meticulous work, hard research, repeated revisions, and striving for excellence is highly commendable. Throughout the process of applying for the project, writing, and publishing the book, we have always received warm care and strong support from all sides. For which we are forever grateful. Especially Comrade Qiang Wei and the leaders of the Public Security Commission and relevant practical departments attended meetings many times, listened to our reports, and provided instructions and specific requirements. Comrade Wang Tong, President of the Beijing Law Society, took time out of his busy schedule to thoroughly review the research report and manuscript, provided suggestions, and greatly encouraged us. The Beijing Law Society not only held multiple seminars to discuss the outline and writing content but also sent comrades such as Wang Xiuhai and Zhao Hongying to organize research, collect data, and participate in printing, among other specific tasks, which helped us complete the project on schedule and publish it. On the occasion of the publication of this book, we extend our sincere gratitude to all of them! Comrade Yang Lifan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Peking University Press, devoted a great deal of effort to the editing and publishing of this book. During the writing process, the book referred to some relevant works by colleagues in criminology and criminal law, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to them! Due to the limited knowledge of our team, especially regarding a series of issues related to crime in China and abroad, it is inevitable that there are shortcomings in the book. We sincerely hope to receive criticism and corrections from academic peers and readers.