Just like every other aspect of society, businesses are not immune to crimes. These crimes can either be committed by the business against the public or by members of the business community against the business. While it is possible to weigh one crime against another in terms of severity, a crime is still a crime. However, when it comes to crimes committed by business or corporations against the public, I believe they represent the greatest threat.
Crimes committed by corporations against the public range from environmental issues, murder or bribery. The scope of these crimes is what makes them the greatest threat. Environmental crimes committed by corporations often involve the contamination of water bodies such as lakes and oceans. These water bodies are often a source of drinking water for people, and if contaminated they present a potential health risk to those who drink it.
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These water bodies are also habitats for plant and animal life. Oil spills, for example, are known to cut off oxygen entry into lakes or oceans which leads to the death of marine life. On the other hand, animals that survive on these water bodies are also faced with the scarcity of food which also leads to their death. Birds are often unable to fly when soaked in oil not to mention the long-term effects chemical dumping might have on human life.
A look at a recent corporation crime against the public confirms why they pose such a great threat. In May 2009, McNeil-PPC Inc., a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, received a complaint from one of its customers (Department of Justice, 2015). The complaint was about “black specks in the liquid on the bottom of the bottle” that the customer had found in one of its products - Infants’ Tylenol (Department of Justice, 2015).
Further investigation revealed that the black specks were nickel/chromium-rich inclusions, which were not part of the product’s ingredients (Department of Justice, 2015). Despite receiving other complaints regarding the same product, McNeil did not conduct a Corrective Action Preventive Action (CAPA) plan. A 2010 inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the absence of this plan.
The drugs were considered adulterated as they were “manufactured, processed, packed or held in conformance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)” (Department of Justice, 2015). The inclusion of these adulterated drugs into interstate commerce was a violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). McNeill was charged and entered a guilty plea in 2015 agreeing to pay a fine 20 million dollars (Department of Justice, 2015).
McNeil-PPC Inc.’s negligence had put the life of infants and children at risk. Crimes committed by business are the greatest threat compared to crimes that harm business. Crimes that harm business are often limited to the business alone. Embezzlement of funds or fraud will only result in the potential bankruptcy of the business. The absence of a business may indeed hurt the public but not to the same degree as an environmental crime committed by the business.
The scope of crimes committed by business is far wider than that of crimes that harm business. Ultimately, the crimes committed by business also harm the business itself by tarnishing its reputation and reducing its consumer market. These crimes should, therefore, be met with more stringent rules and regulations if they are to be put to an end. Increased focus on these crimes does not mean that crimes that harm business should be disregarded. Crimes that harm business should also be addressed as they do lead to loss of livelihood for employees and the loss of property by business owners.
References
Depart of Justice. (2015, March 10). McNeil-PPC Inc. Pleads Guilty in Connection with Adulterated Infants' and Children's Over-the-Counter Liquid Drugs. Justice News . Retrieved 28 February 2018, from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mcneil-ppc-inc-pleads-guilty-connection-adulterated-infants-and-childrens-over-counter-liquid
