Organised Crime, Occupations and Opportunity

• NCJ Number: 224437
• Journal: Global Crime Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 185-197
• Author(s): Edward R. Kleemans; Henk G. Van de Bunt
• Date Published: August 2008
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Based on 120 case studies from the Dutch Organized Crime Monitor (n=1,623 suspects), this study examined links between organized crime activities and occupations, work relations, and work settings.

Abstract

The study findings suggest that occupations, work relations, and work settings provide a breeding ground for organized criminal activities, particularly transit crime. There are various ways in which occupations present opportunities for organized crime. One way is through occupationally related international contacts and travel movements. Contacts with other countries and other social groups provide opportunities to identify and act on opportunities for transit crime. Examples are occupations that involve mobility, transport, and logistics. A second way that occupations facilitate organized criminal activities is through freedom of movement and/or discretion in the course of performing occupational activities. This explains the involvement in organized crime of directors of small businesses; independent professionals; and individuals with relative autonomy in larger organizations, such as companies and banks. A third way that occupations may be linked to organized crime is through social interactions with people who have connections that can facilitate the development of criminal partnerships. Although routine activity theory and opportunity theory have focused on street crime, they can also be applied to organized crime. The key point is that some work settings and occupational characteristics/activities provide opportunities and structures for various types of organized criminal activities. The main sources of data for this ongoing research are files of closed Dutch police investigations of criminal groups, often spanning several years. From 1996 to 2006, the study analyzed 120 large-scale investigations. The focus of the analysis was the nature of the illegal activities and their criminal methods, how they interacted with the opportunities and risks of the setting for the crimes, and the proceeds of the criminal activities and how they were spent. 45 notes