crime and social responsibility essay

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Crime As A Social Problem: How To Write An Essay?

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Nevertheless, the key to solving the problem lays deeply in it and only through research of every aspect of the problem it can be found. That is exactly why this topic is so popular! You have endless scopes to discover, various information to collect, numerous questions to find answers to, and freedom to compose any personal topic dealing with crime.

But still, all essays on crime are similar to their aim – to discover and to help. You need to realize that any cause-effect connections you may find can indeed help to understand the problem better, develop new methods of preventing, reducing or dealing with crimes and criminals and reveal many other useful things.

How to write crime essay?

Writing an essay on crime is almost the same as writing any other essay. However, remember that you need to be extremely precise with the information you include in your essay – it’s better to check the trustworthiness and accuracy of everything you decided to take on the Internet. What’s more, it is a good idea to rely on statistics and numbers.

Moreover, it is better to choose a specific topic for your essay – that’s how you make it informative and newsworthy. Picking too broad topic will result in writing about everything and nothing. At the same time, choosing a narrow topic may be difficult to write due to the lack of available information.

So, analyze your topic and find the golden middle. These are the main differences in a crime essay.

Here are some basic recommendations:

• Come up with the topic – not too narrow, not too broad, most importantly – interesting for you.
• Write an outline and stick to it – any essay needs to be structured both for easier writing and for better perception.
• Be interested in what you write about.

The best structure for the essay on crime

Any essay should contain three parts – introduction, main body, and conclusion. They may also consist of paragraphs for better understanding while reading. So when you have finally decided on your topic, it is nice to make an outline – it is where all parts of your essay will be highlighted.

Here is a free example of an outline for the essay “Correlations of criminal behavior”:

1. Introduction – here you present all the background information needed to understand your ideas, it is the basis of your research. You may also give some definitions if needed.

2. The main body – to state all your ideas.

• Gender – discover who does more crimes, men or women. Try to explain or find explanations for the question “why”.
• Race and immigration – examine people of which race is more likely than others committing crimes. Also, explore how can the status of immigrant influence criminality.
• Early life – enumerate which factors in early life may be associated with committing crimes later. These may include trauma, family size and relations, alcohol and drug addiction in the family, bullying, low school performance, and many others.
• Religion – there are a few studies about how religiosity may influence criminality. Discover whether religion increase or decrease crime, how and why. Maybe, different religions have different effects.
• Political ideology – explore various political ideologies and how they encourage people to behave themselves. Are there any which obviously push people into committing a crime?
• Psychological traits – explain how psychological background may influence a person. Describe some mental illnesses which may make people aggressive and destructive. Find some statistics to prove your statements.
• Socioeconomic factors – examine people of which social or economic status are more prone to commit a crime, why? Explain also how the economic situation in family, city, and country may influence criminality. You may even write a poverty and crime essay.

3. Conclusion – make a derivation of everything you have stated. Keep in mind that no new ideas or statements are needed here.

4. References – add a list of the sources you have used in your essay (if needed).

Causes of crime essay

It is doubtless that the government and authorities try to prevent crimes (which is a great idea, by the way!).

Nevertheless, it is still occurring.

The problem with this is that the majority of people can’t understand where it all comes from. To cope with the problem we need to spread the awareness of why crime is done because “just insanity” isn’t usually the answer.

If you decided to write such an essay, here are some ideas for you to consider in your essay:

• Physical abnormalities – it is still believed that people who encounter some features of appearance are more likely to commit a crime. It is stated that these people have smaller heads, bigger jaws, and ears and are of a certain weight and height. Another determining factor is race.
• Mental illnesses and psychological disorders – there are some illnesses which make people generally more aggressive.
• Social and economic factors – it is a well-known fact that people of lower social status commit more crimes. The same is with the economy – the poorer the country is, the more crime is committed.
• Income and education – it was revealed that educated people are less likely to commit a crime compared to those who are uneducated. What is more, unemployment is regarded as one of the most widespread reasons for crime.
• White-collar crime – it is a prevalent crime among deputies and high officials. They include bribery, abuse of status, bureaucracy, and others.

Hate crime essay: what’s best to cover?

Hate crime is committed against a group of people or someone who belongs to it. As a rule, race and religion are the main factors. Hate crime itself is a violent act towards a person or a group of people due to their affiliation with a group or organization.

Thousands of people all around the world are suffering since they just profess the religion someone doesn’t like, have another color of skin or encounter some even less noticeable differences. Consider writing a does the death penalty deter crime essay in this context.

Thus this type of crime is indeed worth highlighting. Here is a free sample for you to pick some ideas.

Cybercrime essay: several hints

Cybercrime is a relatively new problem which develops with the Internet and technologies. Only fifteen years ago there wasn’t such a problem. However, it is expected that the global cost of cybercrime will surmount $6 trillion!

Most widespread types of cybercrime include fraud, hacking, identity theft, scamming, computer viruses, ransomware, DDoS attack, botnets, spamming, phishing, social engineering, malvertising, cyberstalking, software piracy, cyberbullying and many others.

This is why the topic is really up-to-date. So you may look through this free example to know where to begin this broad topic.

Final thoughts

All in all, crime is a newsworthy scope to explore and write essays on. Unfortunately, crimes are constantly occurring, and there are lots of information and statistics you may need to discover some specific questions.

Don’t hesitate to examine something you’re really interested in, no matter how “important” it is considered! Good luck!

Can’t wait to fight all the crime around the globe? We’ll help! Order your perfect essay on crime and cut yourself free for anything you have on your mind.

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3 Criminology and ‘Positive Morality’

• Published: January 2022
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This chapter is a revised version of a Valedictory Lecture delivered by the author as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations at the Cambridge Institute of Criminology in 2019. The chapter seeks to make a contribution to what Steven Messner described in 2012 as the beginnings of a ‘moral awakening in criminology’, and, congruently with the anniversary context of the Valedictory Lecture, it does so with special reference to research connected with the Institute of Criminology. The substantive topics covered include: the importance of moral rules for social life and for the explanation of criminal propensity; ways in which people sometimes modify their accepted moral rules in particular circumstances; the importance of social situations in shaping moral action; the possibility of achieving an altered priority of moral values when people undertake ‘ground projects’ such as desistance from crime; ‘weakness of will’ and strategies to avoid it; the perhaps surprising findings from studies that have asked prisoners to explain, from their experience, when the social order of prisons works best; and the difference between ‘good’ and ‘right’ relationships between citizens and criminal justice personnel. In addition, the chapter seeks to tackle some difficult but necessary theoretical issues about the meaning of human agency, and how, methodologically speaking, issues of agency and morality can be coherently related to appropriate social scientific questions about causation and explanation.

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Social Responsibility to Others Essay

Introduction.

Social responsibilities are vital and play an enormous role in every aspect of human life. Consequently, individuals must live in a wealthy and expanding society, and they must be mindful of both domestic and international responsibilities (“Roles and Actions”). “Millions” by Sonja Larsen, “Cranes Fly South” by Edward McCourt and “How to live in history” by Yvonne Blomer describes the various ways in which individuals should be responsible to others. Social responsibility allows a person to understand the interconnectedness of causes and effects that form the fabric of life.

The Power and Responsibility of the Adults’ Influence on Children

The interest of adults in children’s lives is significant in developing a child’s social skills. For instance, in “Millions” by Sonja Larsen, the child is obsessed by thoughts of buying guns (Larsen). However, upon being engaged by the school counselor, the child turns his attention to catapults and medieval weapons because they less harmful as the guns.

Parents face challenges in understanding children’s problems. For instance, despite being asked about the million-dollar question, the child’s interests comprised the anti-social activities (Larsen). As a result, the adult school counselor is forced to institute an assessment program to help the child change his thought processes.

Teaching children morality and sensitivity is one of the key responsibilities of parents. For example, through the school counselor’s continuous interest of the child, the narrator states, “sometime I’m a hero, and sometimes I’m the first victim” (Larsen). In this case, the narrator is capable of understanding the consequences of the adults influence on children by instilling social skills.

From the above analysis, responsibility and understanding of the consequences of the adults influence on children. Therefore, through adult’s social responsibility, children are able to understand the interconnectedness of causes and effects of certain life mistakes. The result is a change of behavior to the better.

Intergenerational Communication for Enriching Human Life Experiences

Through social responsibility, the conditionality of children’s love for the older generation improves. For instance, in “Cranes Fly South” by Edward McCourt, Lee’s love for his grandfather makes him take him to witness the flight of the crane because he knows it would be exciting to his grandfather. Lee does this despite the day being cold and bleak.

The probable extinction of the whooping crane, which is stated at the beginning of the narrative, links to the notion of mutual respect as the most important prerequisite for intergenerational communication. Grandfather is aware that his time on earth is limited and that he must see the majestic grandeur of the crane one more time before dying. This is realized through the help of his grandchild, Lee.

The story uses the symbolism of the whooping crane to mean a change of life. For example, his grandfather’s health begins to improve, which makes Lee pleased, as seen by his last words, “He’s gone south.” Grandfather will finally have a chance to see the sea (McCourt 143). It points towards the distinctive abilities and skills of children in adult’s life.

It is important to equal value the contributions of both parties through intergenerational communication. For instance, when the grandfather finally dies, Lee’s parents blame it on him. This makes Lee so depressed and anguished over his grandfather’s death. Therefore, grandfather’s delirious raving and the parent’s reactions demonstrate that children have insight into life and death, hence, the need for equal value contributions.

Listening As the Main Way of Knowing the World by a Child

Communication is one method of passing on a parent’s worldview to a child. According to Lee and Sandra, children develop self-concepts and beliefs depending on how their parents interact with them (48). Lack of communication between the child and the mother is clear when the narrator say, “he begrudgingly helps out his mom” (Larsen). Therefore, communication should be used to transfer the worldview of parents to a child.

Listening is also a way for a child to learn about the world by hearing both expressed and unspoken feelings and thoughts. For instance, according to Blomer, language is “the way your mother may have told you—her forehead pressed to yours, saying: Listen, dear, listen .” (Blomer. para. 3) As such, despite not loudly speaking, the child understands the mother’s communication through pressing of the foreheads alone.

Communication forms a new fabric of reality due to the perception of a child. In “How to live in history” Blomer relates language as both being a family and having the feeling of a child (Blomer). Furthermore, Blomer states that, “They forget that part of language is listening “(Blomer, para. 4). Therefore, language, which is communication, can be understood by children by visualizing the world through listening.

Listening is one of the primary ways a child learns about the world because it connects generations as well as the past and the future. For instance, in “Cranes Fly South,” Lee listens to his grandfather’s story about never having seen a whopping crane before (McCourt 143). The narrative points towards the child’s capacity to link the two generations using the symbolism of the whooping crane.

The Importance of the History of Intergenerational Relations

The importance of responsibility to others as a foundation of nation history is significant for intergenerational relations. Lee, a child, is closely related with his grandfather because of the social responsibility he feels for the old man (McCourt 143). This indicates the importance of history in relating the two diverse generations.

As a society and as a community, individuals should embrace the historical perspective of social aspects of life in order to establish social responsibilities within a society. Lee embraces the generational past aspects of the grandfather (McCourt 143). The effect is the unlocking of his grandfather’s happiness because throughout his life, he has been envying seeing whooping cranes go south.

Importance of the history of intergenerational relations is established by the interconnectedness of causes and effects in life. For instance, in Larsen’s narrative, the effect of obsession of guns by the child has a familial cause, and the effect could be life damaging to the child. Therefore, the narrative uses the interconnectedness of causes and effects in life in helping the child understand other important life perspectives.

Social responsibility is a key to comprehending the fabric of life. In Larsen’s story, without the school counselor and Lee, intergenerational relations are challenging. Therefore, social responsibility makes both the child and the narrator to establish the prerequisite of all the fabrics of life: the child’s viewpoint of life and the narrator’s perspective.

In conclusion, as indicated in “Millions” by Sonja Larsen, “Cranes Fly South” by Edward McCourt and “How to live in history” by Yvonne Blomer, Social responsibility enables an individual to comprehend the interdependence of causes and consequences that comprise the fabric of life. As such, listening facilitates connection with others and a sense of responsibility.

Works Cited

Blomer, Yvonne. “How to Live in History.” Create Victoria-Cultural Plan , Web.

“ Importance of Parents in Life: Roles and Actions .” Cuemath , Web.

Larsen, Sonja. “ Millions .” Little Fiction Big Truths , Web.

Lee, Glona, and Sandra D. Simpkins. “ Ability self-concepts and parental support may protect adolescents when they experience low support from their math teachers .” Journal of Adolescence , vol. 88, no. 1, 2021, pp. 48-57. Web.

McCourt, Edward. “ Cranes Fly South .” Web.

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Essay on Crime

Students are often asked to write an essay on Crime in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Crime

Understanding crime.

Crime refers to acts that violate the law. They are considered harmful and punishable by a governing authority. Crimes can range from theft to murder.

Types of Crimes

There are various types of crimes. Violent crimes include actions like assault, while theft falls under property crimes. White-collar crimes involve fraud or embezzlement.

Consequences of Crime

Crimes have severe consequences. They can lead to imprisonment, fines, or even death penalties. Moreover, they harm communities and individuals, causing fear and damage.

Preventing Crime

Preventing crime involves law enforcement, education, and community programs. Everyone can contribute to a safer society by obeying laws and reporting suspicious activities.

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250 Words Essay on Crime

Introduction.

Crime, a pervasive aspect of society, is an act that violates a law and is punishable by the state. It disruptively breaches societal norms, creating a sense of insecurity and fear. This essay delves into the nature of crime, its causes, and the role of law enforcement.

The Nature of Crime

Crime is a complex phenomenon, varying across cultures and societies. It ranges from minor offences like theft to severe ones like homicide. The nature of crime reflects societal values, as what is considered criminal is determined by the prevailing legal and moral code.

Causes of Crime

The causes of crime are multifaceted, involving biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Biological theories suggest genetic predispositions towards criminal behaviour. Psychological theories focus on the individual’s mental processes and their interaction with the environment. Sociological theories, on the other hand, emphasize societal structures and inequalities as major crime contributors.

Law Enforcement and Crime

Law enforcement agencies play a crucial role in maintaining order, preventing crime, and ensuring justice. They function as a deterrent, keeping potential criminals in check. However, their effectiveness is contingent upon their ability to adapt to evolving criminal tactics.

In conclusion, crime is a societal issue with deep roots in individual and social structures. Understanding its nature and causes is key to formulating effective strategies for prevention and control. As society evolves, so too must our approach to understanding and combating crime.

500 Words Essay on Crime

Crime, a social and legal concept, has been a part of human society since its inception. It refers to the actions that violate the norms and laws of a society, leading to harm or potential harm to individuals or the community. The study of crime, its causes, effects, and prevention, is a crucial aspect of sociology, psychology, and criminology.

Crime is a complex phenomenon, varying across societies and times. It is not static but evolves with societal norms and legal frameworks. What may be considered a crime in one society may not be in another, and similarly, what was a crime in the past might not be so today. For instance, homosexuality was once criminalized in many societies, but it is now widely accepted and decriminalized.

Types of Crime

Crimes are generally categorized into personal crimes, property crimes, inchoate crimes, statutory crimes, and financial crimes. Personal crimes involve direct harm or threat to an individual, such as assault or robbery. Property crimes involve interfering with another person’s property, like burglary or theft. Inchoate crimes are those that were started but not completed, while statutory crimes are violations of specific statutes. Financial crimes, such as fraud or embezzlement, involve the illegal conversion of property ownership.

The causes of crime are multifaceted, often interwoven with societal, psychological, and economic factors. Poverty, lack of education, substance abuse, and family violence are some common societal factors leading to crime. Psychological factors include personality disorders, low self-control, and aggression. Economic factors, such as unemployment or income inequality, also contribute significantly to crime rates.

Effects of Crime

Crime affects society in numerous ways, from creating fear and insecurity to damaging social cohesion. It impacts the economy by diverting resources towards law enforcement and away from other sectors. On an individual level, crime can lead to physical harm, psychological trauma, and financial loss.

Crime prevention strategies are as diverse as the causes of crime. They include social strategies, such as improving education and employment opportunities, and legal strategies, such as effective law enforcement and fair judicial systems. Psychological interventions, like counseling and therapy, can also play a significant role in crime prevention.

Understanding crime is essential to creating a safe and harmonious society. By examining its nature, types, causes, effects, and prevention, we can develop effective strategies to reduce crime rates and mitigate its impact on individuals and communities. It is a collective responsibility that requires the concerted efforts of individuals, communities, and governments.

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Crime, Punishment and the Value of Corporate Social Responsibility

Harrison G. Hong , Jeffrey D. Kubik , I. Liskovich + 1 more authors

Mar 21, 2016

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O&M: Firms & Other Social Institutions eJournal

Key Takeaway : Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is associated with lenient settlements and higher market valuations in foreign corruption cases, despite not being explicitly factored in sentencing guidelines.

Using enforcements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, we find that socially responsible firms receive more lenient settlements from prosecutors and have higher resulting market valuations. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is uncorrelated with bribe attributes, which should entirely determine sanctions following Becker (1974). It is also not an explicit factor in sentencing guidelines. Yet, a one standard deviation increase in CSR is associated with 5 million dollars less in fines, or 25% lower than the mean and less costly subsequent monitoring. High CSR firms out-perform low CSR firms by 2.4% in the six months following the announcement of the settlement.

Crime, Punishment and the Halo Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility

Three reasons are often cited for the value of corporate social responsibility: product quality signalling, delegated giving, and the halo effect. Previous tests cannot separate these channels because they focus on consumers, who value all three. We focus on prosecutors, who are only susceptible to the halo effect. Using Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcements, we find that social responsibility is associated with 2 million dollars less in fines, though it is uncorrelated with bribe characteristics and cooperation, which should entirely determine sanctions following Becker (1974). We show that this bias is likely a halo effect and not prosecutorial conflict of interest.

We thank Ray Fisman, Jonathan Karpoff, Jennifer Arlen, Alex Mas, Will Dobie, Alex Edmans, Jeffrey Wurgler and seminar participants at the Insead Capitalism and Society Conference, Princeton Labor Economics Lunch, NBER Corporate Finance Meetings Spring 2015 and Aalto School of Business for helpful comments. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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When Corporations Cause Harm: A Critical View of Corporate Social Irresponsibility and Corporate Crimes

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• Published: 10 April 2019
• Volume 167 , pages 285–297, ( 2020 )

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• Rafael Alcadipani   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5132-5380 1 &
• Cíntia Rodrigues de Oliveira Medeiros 2  

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Corporations perform actions that can inflict harm with different levels of intensity, from death to material loss, to both companies’ internal and external stakeholders. Research has analysed corporate harm using the notions of corporate social irresponsibility (CSIR) and corporate crime. Critical management studies (CMS) have been subjecting management and organizational practices and knowledge to critical analysis, and corporate harm has been one of the main concerns of CMS. However, CMS has rarely been deployed to analyse CSIR and corporate crime. Thus, the aim of this paper is to critically analyse the perspectives of CSIR and corporate crimes on corporate harm via CMS in general and postcolonial studies in particular. The paper contributes by arguing that research on CSIR and corporate crime could be perceived as producing research that does not challenge the essence of contemporary corporation profit-seeking activities that ultimately produces corporate harm. We argue that CSIR and corporate crime are ideologies that assist in disguising the contradiction between producing shareholder value and the social good that is at the heart of the modern corporation system and the current economic system. Furthermore, the postcolonial view of CSIR and corporate crime highlights how they are based on a Western-centric view of corporate harm that ignores the realities and perspectives of the Global South, especially in situations where corporate harm leads to death in the Global South.

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Alcadipani, R., de Oliveira Medeiros, C.R. When Corporations Cause Harm: A Critical View of Corporate Social Irresponsibility and Corporate Crimes. J Bus Ethics 167 , 285–297 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04157-0

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Unprecedented wave of narco-violence stuns Argentina city

A prison guard sits in a watchtower at the Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei has called for harsher penalties against drug traffickers and military intervention. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A chain lock reinforces the locked door of a gas station that started closing shop at night after the killing of a worker at a nearby station a few weeks before, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The order to kill came from inside Ezeiza Prison from gang leaders who hired a 15-year-old hitman to kill gas station worker Bruno Bussanich on March 9. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A mural of soccer player Lionel Messi covers a building in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The birthplace of Messi and revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara morphed about a decade ago into the country’s drug trafficking hub, as regional crackdowns pushed the trade south. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A child rides a bicycle past a mural of Gabriel Ignacio Romero, a resident who was murdered on the sidewalk outside his home the previous year, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. For the past decade, the 1.3 million residents of Rosario have watched warily as presidents and their promises come and go. What endures, they say, is violence. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police officer Georgina Wilke drives her patrol car in Rosario, Argentina, late Monday, April 8, 2024. Agents fanned out across hardscrabble areas, spending hours logging neighborhood activity and setting up checkpoints on major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People hang out at a park in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The birthplace of Lionel Messi and revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara morphed about a decade ago into the country’s drug trafficking hub, as regional crackdowns pushed the trade south. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A resident who did not want to be identified shows the gun she keeps at her home for self-defense as she poses for a photo in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. The homicide rate is five times the national average in Rosario. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A mural of Claudio Ariel Cantero covers a wall alongside a supportive message of him written by his family, in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Cantero, known as “El Pajaro,” or The Bird, was the leader of the criminal organization called “Los Monos,” or The Monkeys, and was shot to death at a bowling alley on May 26, 2013 in Santa Fe. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Police patrol the streets of Rosario, Argentina, as a family that collects disposed cardboard to resell pushes their children in a shopping cart, late Monday, April 8, 2024. Agents fanned out across hardscrabble areas, spending hours logging neighborhood activity and setting up checkpoints on major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geronima Benitez holds a photograph of her son Victor Emanuel, 17, who was murdered by drug traffickers who were never arrested two years ago, at her home in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Benítez said her son’s killer still lives down her street and is not convinced a prison sentence would make a difference. “We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.” (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Geronima Benitez wipes her eyes as she speaks about her son Victor Emanuel, 17, who was murdered by drug traffickers who were never arrested two years ago, during an interview at her home in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Benítez said her son’s killer still lives down her street and is not convinced a prison sentence would make a difference. “We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.” (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A banner hangs over a bus stop asking for justice regarding the murder of bus driver Cesar Roldan in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Prison guards stand behind the entrance to Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A police officer stands guard on a street in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. President Javier Milei has promised to prosecute gang members as terrorists and change the law to allow the army into crime-ridden streets for the first time since Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship ended in 1983. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The Pinero jail complex stands in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei’s tough-on-crime message has empowered hardline governor Maximiliano Pullaro’s efforts to clamp down on incarcerated criminal groups, which he said planned 80% of shootings in Rosario last year. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Inmates play soccer at Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

An inmate looks out from a window at Pinero jail in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Authorities have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Prison guards stand inside the Pinero jail complex in Pinero, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. President Javier Milei has called for harsher penalties against drug traffickers and military intervention. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

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ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — The order to kill came from inside a federal prison near Argentina’s capital. Unwitting authorities patched a call from drug traffickers tied to one of the country’s most notorious gangs to collaborators on the outside. Hiring a 15-year-old hit man, they sealed the fate of a young father they didn’t even know.

At a service station on March 9 in Rosario, the picturesque hometown of soccer star Lionel Messi, 25-year-old employee Bruno Bussanich was whistling to himself and checking the day’s earnings just before he was shot three times from less than a foot away, surveillance footage shows. The assailant fled without taking a peso.

It was the fourth gang-related fatal shooting in Rosario in almost as many days. Authorities called it an unprecedented rampage in Argentina, which had never witnessed the extremes of drug cartel violence afflicting some other Latin American countries.

A handwritten letter was found near Bussanich’s body, addressed to officials who want to curb the power drug kingpins wield from behind bars. “We don’t want to negotiate anything. We want our rights,” it says. “We will kill more innocent people.”

Shaken residents interviewed by The Associated Press across Rosario described a sense of dread taking hold.

“Every time I go to work, I say goodbye to my father as if it were the last time,” said 21-year-old Celeste Núñez, who also works at a gas station.

The string of killings offer an early test to the security agenda of populist President Javier Milei, who has tethered his political success to saving Argentina’s tanking economy and eradicating narco-trafficking violence.

A police officer stands guard on a street in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Since taking office Dec. 10, the right-wing leader has promised to prosecute gang members as terrorists and change the law to allow the army into crime-ridden streets for the first time since Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship ended in 1983.

His law-and-order message has empowered the hardline governor of Santa Fe province, which includes Rosario, to clamp down on incarcerated criminal gangs that authorities say orchestrated 80% of shootings last year. Under the orders of Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, police have ramped up prison raids, seized thousands of smuggled cellphones and restricted visits.

“We are facing a group of narco-terrorists desperate to maintain power and impunity,” Milei said after Bussanich was killed, announcing the deployment of federal forces in Rosario. “We will lock them up, isolate them, take back the streets.”

A mural of Claudio Ariel Cantero covers a wall alongside a supportive message of him written by his family, in Rosario, Argentina, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Milei won 56% of the vote in Rosario, where residents praise his focus on a problem largely neglected by his predecessors. But some worry the government’s combative approach traps them in the line of fire.

Gangs started their deadly retaliations just hours after Pullaro’s security minister shared photos showing Argentine prisoners crammed together on the floor, heads pressed against each other’s bare backs — a scene reminiscent of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s harsh anti-gang crackdown.

“It’s a war between the state and the drug traffickers,” said Ezequiel, a 30-year-old employee at the gas station where Bussanich was killed. Ezequiel, who gave only his first name for fear of reprisals, said his mother has since begged him to quit. “We’re the ones paying the price.”

Even Milei’s supporters have mixed feelings about the crackdown, including Germán Bussanich, the father of the slain gas station worker.

“They’re putting on a show and we’re facing the consequences,” Bussanich told reporters.

A leafy city 300 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires, Rosario is where revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born, Messi first kicked a soccer ball and the Argentine flag was first raised in 1812. But it most recently won notoriety because its homicide numbers are five times the national average.

Tucked into a bend in the Paraná River, Rosario’s port morphed into Argentina’s drug trafficking hub as regional crackdowns pushed the narcotics trade south and criminals started squirreling away cocaine in shipping containers spirited down the river to markets abroad. Although Rosario never suffered the car bombs and police assassinations gripping Mexico , Colombia and most recently Ecuador , the splintering of street gangs has fueled bloodshed.

“It’s not close to the violence in Mexico because we still have the deterrence capacity of the government in Argentina,” said Marcelo Bergman, a social scientist at the National University of Tres de Febrero in Argentina. “But we need to keep an eye on Rosario because the major threats come not so much from big cartels but when these groups proliferate and diversify.”

Drug traffickers keep a tight grip over Rosario’s poor neighborhoods full of young men vulnerable to recruitment. One of them was Víctor Emanuel, a 17-year-old killed two years ago by rival gangsters in an area where street murals pay tribute to slain criminal leaders. No one was arrested.

“My neighbors know who’s responsible,” his mother, Gerónima Benítez, told the AP, her eyes shiny with tears. “I looked for help everywhere, I knocked on the doors of the judiciary, the government. No one answered.”

A fearful existence is all Benítez has ever known. But now, for the first time in Argentina, warring drug traffickers are banding together and terrorizing parts of the city previously considered safe.

Imprisoned gang leaders in Latin America have long run criminal enterprises remotely with the help of corrupt guards. But according to an indictment unveiled last week , incarcerated gang bosses in Argentina have been passing instructions on how to kill random civilians via family visits and video calls.

Court documents say the bosses paid underage hit men up to $450 to target four of the recent victims in Argentina’s third-largest city. The killing of Bussanich, two taxi drivers and a bus driver in less than a week in March, federal prosecutors say, “shattered the peace of an entire society.”

Street emptied. Schools closed. Bus drivers picketed. People were too terrified to leave their homes.

“This violence is on another level,” 20-year-old Rodrigo Dominguez said from an intersection where a dangling banner demanded justice for another bus driver slain there weeks earlier. “You can’t go outside.”

Panic was still palpable in Rosario last week, as police swarmed the streets and normally bustling bars closed early for lack of customers. A diner managed by Messi’s family, a draw for fans, reported quiet nights and less profit. Women in one neighborhood said they carry 22‐caliber pistols. Analía Manso, 37, said she was too scared to send her children to school.

Pope Francis last month said he was praying for his countrymen in Rosario.

Assaults and public threats continue. This month, a sign appeared on a highway overpass warning Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich that gangs would extend their offensive to Buenos Aires if the government doesn’t back down.

Authorities have sought to reassure the public by sending hundreds of federal agents into Rosario. The AP spent a night with police last week as officers patrolled neighborhoods logging suspicious activity and setting up checkpoints.

Georgina Wilke, a 45-year-old Rosario officer in the explosives squad, said she welcomes federal intervention, including the military, to get crime under control. “We’ve been hit very hard,” Wilke said.

Omar Pereira, the provincial secretary of public security, promised the efforts represent a shift from failed tactics of the past.

“There were always pacts, implicit or explicit, between the state and criminals,” Pereira said, describing how authorities long looked the other way. “What’s the idea of this government? There is no pact.”

A child rides a bicycle past a mural of Gabriel Ignacio Romero, a resident who was murdered on the sidewalk outside his home the previous year, in Rosario, Argentina, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

But experts are skeptical a tough-on-crime approach will stop drug traffickers from buying control over Argentina’s police and prisons.

“Unless the government fixes its problems with corruption, the crackdown on prisons is unlikely to have any long-term effect,” said Christopher Newton, an investigator at Colombia-based research organization InSight Crime.

For years, Rosario’s 1.3 million residents have watched warily as presidents and their promises come and go while the violence endures.

“It’s like a cancer that grows and grows,” said Benítez from her home, its windows protected by wrought-iron bars.

“We, on the outside, live in prison,” she said. “Those inside have everything.”