18-17-102. Legislative declaration

18-17-102. Legislative declaration. The general assembly hereby finds that organized crime in the state of Colorado, as well as nationwide, is a highly sophisticated, diversified, and widespread activity that annually consumes millions of dollars locally and billions of dollars nationally from this state's and the nation's economy through unlawful conduct and the illegal use of force, fraud, and corruption. Organized crime derives a major portion of its power through money procured from such illegal endeavors as syndicated and organized gambling, loan-sharking, the theft of property and fencing of stolen property, the illegal importation, manufacture, and distribution of drugs and other controlled substances, and other forms of social exploitation. This money and power are increasingly being used to infiltrate and corrupt legitimate business and labor organizations and to subvert and corrupt our democratic processes. Organized crime activities within this state weaken the stability of this state's and the nation's economy, harm innocent investors and competing organizations, impede free competition, threaten the peace and health of the public, endanger the domestic security, and undermine the general welfare of the state and its citizens. The general assembly further finds that organized crime continues to grow and flourish because of defects in the evidence-gathering process of the law which inhibits the development and use of the legally admissible evidence necessary to bring criminal and other sanctions or remedies to bear on the unlawful activities of those engaged in organized crime and because the sanctions and remedies presently available to the state are unnecessarily limited in scope and impact. Therefore, the general assembly declares that it is the purpose of this article to seek the eradication of organized crime in this state by strengthening the legal tools in the evidence-gathering process, by establishing new penal prohibitions, and by providing enhanced sanctions and new remedies to deal with the unlawful activities of those engaged in organized crime.