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Memorandum on the Federal Government's Drive Against Organized Crime

May 05, 1966

Memorandum for Heads of Departments and Agencies Participating in the Federal Organized Crime Drive

Organized crime constitutes one of the most serious threats to a peaceful and prosperous society. It drains untold millions of dollars yearly from our national wealth. It carries corruption and violence in its wake. It erodes respect for the law.

The Federal investigative agencies can be proud of their accomplishments during the past several years in identifying and amassing evidence against the leaders of organized crime in this country. The success of the Department of Justice in securing indictments and convictions in organized crime cases is due to the ability of your many separate investigative units to work closely together towards a common goal. You have demonstrated that this unified coordinated program of action can be effective in combating organized crime.

I have today stated my determination to continue and accelerate this priority program.

To add further strength to our efforts, I have asked the Attorney General, as the Nation's chief law enforcement officer, to act as a focal point of the Federal Government's attack on organized crime.

I want each of you to give him your help and support.

To accomplish our purpose, each investigative unit in your department or agency participating in the drive against organized crime should:

--Carefully review its current organized crime programs and present detailed status reports to the Attorney General, with emphasis upon allocation of personnel and upon suggested areas of new and additional investigation.

--Report periodically in detail to the Attorney General on the progress of its organized crime investigations showing for each current or proposed investigation the planned area of inquiry, the number and type of personnel assigned, and the expected prosecutive potential.

--Establish direct lines of liaison with the Department of Justice to enable the Attorney General to carry out his responsibility for directing this program.

To uproot the menace of organized crime from our society, we must work closely together, attain new levels of cooperation and match our will with effective action.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

Note: For the President's remarks of the same date stating his determination to "continue and accelerate this priority program," see Item 204.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Memorandum on the Federal Government's Drive Against Organized Crime Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/239162

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