Ake, I think I gave you an honest answer, from the point of view of somebody who worked as an investigator for 25 years. Please read it again. Organized crime thrives in closed minority communities (not just among tinkers), where outsiders are easily recognized. It takes very good and very painstaking police work to control it, but it can be done - and must be done.

And to correct Dick Greenhaus, let me say that many states have "hate crime enhancements" to the penalties for criminal offenses. If the crime is deemed a hate crime, a year to several years can be added to the offender's sentence. And yes, as Dick says, there is also a federal law that allows federal prosecution for a "hate crime," even though the state has failed to convict the offender of a crime.

-Joe Offer-