Keneally plans anti-mafia laws for NSW

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally plans to use some influence from the Big Apple to wipe out organised crime rings in NSW, if Labor wins the March election.
As part of Labor's Protecting Our Community - Tackling Crime and its Causes package, the new laws aim to stop organised criminals getting off easily when they delegate their crimes to subordinates.
"While senior criminal identities may be able to escape conviction for major offences by delegating the execution of crimes to junior associates, it may be difficult for them to escape conviction for other offences," Ms Keneally said on Sunday.
The new Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisation (RICO) laws are "New York-style anti-mafia laws" according to the Labor Party and any money confiscated under the laws would go towards benefiting crime victims.
"Under RICO laws, organised crime members will face serious sentences when convicted of two or more organised crime related offences, even if they are of a less serious nature," the premier said.
Penalties will include extended prison sentences, forfeiture orders, fines, civil compensation orders and orders to refrain from organised crime activity in the future.
"These laws are modelled on United States anti-mafia legislation, which was developed after police and prosecutors found that some crime bosses were escaping conviction by delegating crimes such as assault and murder to their subordinates, " said Attorney General John Hatzistergos.
These new laws would crack down on organised crime rings and the crime bosses behind them.