Introduction
On 16th November 2012 seventy eight year old Rahmatollah Vahidipour a resident of Great Neck was killed under unfamiliar circumstances. The motives surrounding the killing could not be clearly established at an instance. Investigations into the death did not last a week before the killer was known and arraigned in court. Salvatore Pirrone, a native of Bensonhusrt, Brooklyn was charged with three counts of second degree murder and one count of first degree murder. He was responsible of Rahmatollah’s killing on the fateful day (Goodman J. D. 2012).
Pirrone was a said to be a middleman for a clothing supplier and it was on record that he had registered a trademark for a line of cloths that would trade under the label “Salvatore Pirrone”. He has been involved in two other separate counts of murder. On July 6, he shot and killed a one Mohamed Gebelli, on August second the body of another of his victims Isaac Kadare was found with Ramatollah Vahidipour being the latest victim of his actions on November 16 (Goodman J. D. 2012).
Pirrone is said to have been involved in several other criminal activities and going-ins with the law. It was revealed that Peronne could be in financial problems over the time he has committed these crimes with records showing that a formal notice of foreclosure was initiated on his property. A neighbor confessed the reckless state in which his residence has been for some time with everything looking out of place. Perrone lives as a divorced father and his drinking habits have been described as excessive. He was also described by close associates and neighbors as overly combative and oddly exuberant. He denied the charges and if convicted he was to be charged he would face life imprisonment (Goodman J. D. 2012).
Analysis/discussion of the strengths of the theory
The social disorganization theory relies on the belief that crime is a product of social transition. It was suggested by Shaw and McKay. They concluded that crime is a function of neighborhood dynamics without any particular or specific relation to people within those neighborhoods. This theory describes crime in the context of absence of some certain aspects of relationships that are usually a characteristic of a community or society that is organized.
The purpose of this paper is to focus on Perrone’s case and relate it to the social disorganization theory. The analysis of Perrone’s case will focus on both the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. There are three main strengths of the social disorganization theory. These include 1). It helps identify the factors that facilitate or influence crime 2). It helps establish why crime rates are high in certain areas 3). The theory helps discover the possible solutions that can help reduce crime in a certain locality (Benson, M. L., Fox, G. L., & National Institute of Justice (U.S.) 2002).
1). It helps identify the factors that facilitate or influence crime
The social disorganization theory describes the presence of crime as an absence of certain social aspects of a human being. It suggests the reasons why some people are likely to engage in crime than others within the same locality. These social aspects, according to Shaw and MCKay include economic deprivation, congested housing units with poor basic facilities, family disruptions such as divorce and single parenting and high levels of mobility by residents.
Focusing on Perrone’s case, it was well known that he was a divorced man. This could suggest a rocky marriage and without doubt, the issue carries some weight of desperation with. The effects of rocky marriages that end up in divorce range from stress to frustration and victims mostly end up taking a different path in life quite different from their previously normal life. They could end up in crime such as murder, drug addiction or even committing suicide. Perrone was also described to be oddly exuberant and overly combative while he also drunk excessively. Witnesses also described that his property had been it was also discovered that a formal notice of foreclosure of his property had been initiated which could suggest that his economic situation was another matter of concern. Similarly, it was not exactly clear what his occupation was. His premise itself was described as so disorganized that it looked as a place totally abandoned.
All above factors combined, suggest that his life was a complete mess and as described by one former neighbor Sharon Sullivan, “It’s looked haunted and unlivable for about 20 years”. This clearly shows how certain lacking aspects of life lead to crime. The social disorganization theory is able to identify these issues and relate them to the crime without purely generalizing the idea. It is therefore clear that the society setting in itself does not influence an individual into crime but the lack of certain social aspects in an individual’s life has a great influence what they perceive of crime and their subsequent involvement in it (Benson ET al. 2002).
2). It helps establish why crime rates are high in certain areas
The social disorganization theory provides a clue as to areas that are more prone to crime. It links the factors that facilitate crime with the certain areas where such factors are more likely to be a characteristic of most residents. Such areas are likely to be inhabited by people who poor and where single parentage is common. In such societies, the residents are likely to have no close ties to their neighbors (Benson ET al. 2002). Investment among residents of these communities is very low and they do not necessarily care about the community. Limited resources play a big role in these characteristics as such people cannot sustain their livelihoods and get enough to help out their neighbors or engage in meaningful investment (Harris, M. L. 2003).
Perrone’s neighbors describe him from what they see. They have seen him drink excessively and sing on the streets but none has ever taken concern to advice him or help him out of this situation. Surprisingly, it cannot be established what his main occupation could be. Perrone is a divorced father and this can be attributed to the financial strain of raising a family. He probably could not help raise enough funds to sustain a family. The best option for him or the wife was therefore to part ways and find navigate through life individually. The neighbors could not probably help out the situation because even for them, the financial strain in their own families cannot afford them the resources to support others. While Perrone is said to have registered a trademark for a line of cloths, it cannot be established whether any items were ever sold under the label. The most probable outcome is that none were sold as he could not afford the capital to kickstart.
3). The theory helps discover the possible solutions that can help reduce crime in a certain locality
Analysis/discussion of the weaknesses of the theory
The social disorganization theory assumes that places are the cause of crime and not people. It fails to consider the individual differences that exist among people. In some individuals, certain characteristics are developed from within them and not a product of the society. Perroni could be that such individual. His rocky marriage that led to a divorce is evidence of a personal trait that has always existed. It could be a reflection of the antisocial person he is. In essence, there are other neighbors for instance Rahmatollah Vahidipour , one of his victims whose family is closely knit and seemingly happy as describes by his granddaughter while testifying against Perrone. While the community plays a role in the development and behavior of an individual, the theory seems to place the entire burden on the community without considering how personal aspects of an individual influence them to crimes (Harris, M. L. 2003).
Conclusion
Crime in the society is a combination of two factors; the influence of the community and the personal traits of individuals within that society. This means therefore that one theory cannot explain the cause of crime or offer the perfect solutions to crime in the society. The social disorganization theory is very precise in describing how the society does influence crime rates. The theory avoids generalizing crime and offers a clear path as to how the society setting and lack of certain social factors leads to crime. By relating this lack of certain social factors to an individual, it becomes possible to determine why crime rate is high is an area. In Perrone’s case for instance, we are able to see how the society indirectly moulds him into a serial killer over time. Despite not providing a distinction between traits developed by the society and those that are inborn, the theory is quite descriptive in unearthing an ailing problem within societies. It can be relied upon to help solve crime rates in the society (Benson ET al. 2002).
References
Benson, M. L., Fox, G. L., & National Institute of Justice (U.S.) (2002). Economic distress, community context and intimate violence: An application and extension of social disorganization theory : final report. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Dept. of Justice.
Goodman, J. D. (2012, November 22). Salvatore Perrone, Suspect in 3 Murders, Faced Financial Troubles - NYTimes.com. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/nyregion/salvatore-perrone-suspect-in-3-murders-faced-financial-troubles.html?ref=serialmurders&_r=1&
Harris, M. L. (2003). Social disorganization theory: Examining the mediating effects of social ties and disorder on crime.
