Organised crime and criminal careers: findings from an Australian sample

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.52922/ti78337 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony Morgan ◽

Jason Payne

Keyword(s):

Trajectory Analysis ◽

Late Onset ◽

Organised Crime ◽

Criminal Careers ◽

Criminal Career ◽

International Studies ◽

Career Trajectories ◽

Criminal Histories ◽

Australian Sample ◽

Organised Crime Groups

A growing number of international studies have shown members of organised crime groups have different criminal career trajectories to volume crime offenders. This study analysed the recorded criminal histories of a sample of 3,007 individuals affiliated with known organised crime groups. Trajectory analysis revealed four distinct offending trajectories, differentiated by their onset, peak and frequency of offending. Consistent with overseas studies, there was a large group of late-onset offenders. Groups also differed in offending versatility, seriousness and escalation. Further analysis, including of offence types, revealed that individuals varied in their criminal careers prior to their involvement in organised crime offending, indicative of the different recruitment pathways that exist.

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Jekyll or Hyde? Examining the criminal careers of public violence offenders

European Journal of Criminology ◽

10.1177/1477370816661742 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 415-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tom van Ham ◽

Arjan A.J. Blokland ◽

Henk B. Ferwerda ◽

Theo A.H. Doreleijers ◽

Otto M.J. Adang

Keyword(s):

Small Group ◽

Empirical Work ◽

Criminal Careers ◽

Criminal Career ◽

Future Research ◽

Intergroup Dynamics ◽

Criminal Records ◽

Career Trajectories ◽

Police Data ◽

Group Violence

Since the 1970s theoretical and empirical work on public violence has mainly focused on the context in which public violence takes place, assuming that public violence offenders are ordinary people acting in extraordinary circumstances. Recent studies however indicate that ‘hooligans’ share many characteristics with other violent offenders, which has (re)fuelled the notion that individual propensity is important in explaining public violence, and that public violence offenders generally fit the small group of serious and persistent offenders identified by Moffitt. Based on Dutch police data on 438 individuals involved in public violence, we examined the criminal careers of public violence offenders leading up to the date of registration as a public violence offender. Using group-based models, we distinguished three criminal career trajectories in our sample. Although we found many public violence offenders had no criminal records whatsoever, we also found a small group of public violence offenders who exhibited a high frequency of offending, displayed both solo and group violence, and acted violently across different settings. Our results leave us to take a middle ground in the context-propensity debate, because we argue that different categories of public violence offenders may exist whose behaviour is triggered by different processes. Incorporating the notion of different types of public violence offenders helps explain the seemingly contradictory findings of prior studies, and suggests new avenues for future research into the intra- and intergroup dynamics of public violence.

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The criminal career trajectories of domestic violence offenders

10.52922/ti78016 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher Dowling ◽

Hayley Boxall

Keyword(s):

Domestic Violence ◽

New South ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Criminal Careers ◽

Criminal Career ◽

Career Trajectories ◽

South Wales ◽

Formed Part ◽

Underlying Risk ◽

Trajectory Modelling

This study examines the officially recorded criminal careers of 2,076 domestic violence offenders and 9,925 non-domestic violence offenders in New South Wales in the 10 years following their first police proceeding. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to examine both domestic violence and non-domestic violence offending. Special attention is given to the degree of versatility in offending, and to the interplay of domestic violence and non-domestic violence offending trajectories. Domestic violence offending often formed part of a broader pattern of offending. While trajectories of low‑frequency domestic violence and non-domestic violence offending were most common, domestic violence typically increases as non-domestic violence offences begin to decline. Importantly, there was variability in the offending profiles of domestic violence offenders. This was amplified when non-domestic violence offending was analysed, indicative of a complex array of underlying risk factors.

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Colombian border violence will Venezuela worsen crisis

Emerald Expert Briefings ◽

10.1108/oxan-db260739 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Armed Forces ◽

Organised Crime ◽

Border Crossings ◽

Armed Groups ◽

Military Operations ◽

Content Type ◽

Criminal Violence ◽

Organised Crime Groups

Significance The closure of border crossings since March 2020 has fuelled violent competition for control of lucrative informal crossings (trochas) and frontier towns. However, the Venezuelan military is ill-prepared to deal with the expanding presence of Colombia’s irregular armed groups. Recent incursions highlight weaknesses in the Venezuelan armed forces, which have suffered casualties. Impacts The penetration of organised crime groups into Venezuela’s disintegrating state and economy will continue to intensify. Organised criminal violence coupled with the violence of military operations will fuel displacement, COVID and civilian casualties. A speedy, negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political impasse is needed to preclude fusion with Colombia’s own protracted insurgency.

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Terrorism, organised crime and threat mitigation in a globalised world

Journal of Financial Crime ◽

10.1108/jfc-02-2017-0015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 951-961

Author(s):

Yara El Siwi

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Paradigm Shift ◽

Organised Crime ◽

Global Networks ◽

Content Type ◽

Subsequent Section ◽

Threat Mitigation ◽

Organised Crime Groups ◽

The Cold War ◽

Substantial Interest

Purpose The gruesome attacks of 11 September 2001 signalled a powerful paradigm shift in international politics: governments previously accustomed to military menaces were now being increasingly threatened by independent, non-state actors. Consequently, a plethora of literature emerged, looking to better understand the nature of these actors. An aspect that has attracted substantial interest is the inter-relation between terrorism and organised crime (OC). This paper aims to answer the question as to whether, for the purpose of controlling and mitigating the threat they pose to society, there is meaning in differentiating between terrorist organisations (TOs) and organised crime groups (OCGs). Design/methodology/approach The first section of the paper will provide an account of the various kinds of threats posed by OCGs and TOs. The subsequent section will question whether it is possible, in today’s globalised era, to distinguish between these two actors, while the last sections will ask if such a differentiation is desirable. Findings OCGs and TOs display a clear divergence: the former’s motivation is financial while the latter’s political. With the end of the Cold War, however, each type of organisation has been building up the capabilities of the other, helped by the force of global networks. As such, these two actors now exist within the same body – a continuum – that renders their separation difficult. As to the question of desirability, the separation of the two phenomena has often led to the adoption of highly disproportionate militarised and securitised measures, resulting in a dangerous blending of law enforcement and security service methodology. Originality/value Many have argued for the separation of the “terrorist” from the “criminal”, on the grounds that the former is particularly heinous and deserving of more severe measures. Others have studied the evolution of these two phenomena to understand whether the lines separating them have been blurring and the extent to which this affects law-enforcement. This paper goes beyond notions of feasibility and poses the following question: has the traditional separation of these phenomena led to a desirable regime?

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Organised Crime Groups involved in Fraud

10.1007/978-3-319-69401-6 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tiggey May ◽

Bina Bhardwa

Keyword(s):

Organised Crime ◽

Organised Crime Groups

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Criminal Careers and Immigration: An Analysis of Offending Over the Life Course Among Homicide Inmates in Texas

Crime & Delinquency ◽

10.1177/00111287211039996 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 001112872110399

Author(s):

Erin A. Orrick ◽

Chris Guerra ◽

Alex R. Piquero

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Growth Curve ◽

Criminal Careers ◽

Growth Curve Models ◽

Administrative Records ◽

Criminal Histories ◽

Crime Types ◽

The Life Course

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in patterns of criminal arrests between US citizens and foreign citizens among a sample of individuals incarcerated for homicide in Texas. Data for this project come from administrative records of inmates incarcerated in Texas for homicide. Drawing from the criminal careers literature, official arrest records are assessed to compare differences in criminal histories with growth curve models for the examination of criminal careers of non-Texas born US citizens and foreign citizens. Notable findings are that the age-crime curves are remarkably similar between the two groups, but the curves differ in degree, with those of US citizens peaking significantly higher across all crime types examined.

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“It's a Vicious Game”

Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies - Global Perspectives on Youth Gang Behavior, Violence, and Weapons Use ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9938-0.ch010 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 192-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dev Rup Maitra

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Organised Crime ◽

British Society ◽

Street Gangs ◽

Surrounding Area ◽

Gainful Employment ◽

Youth Delinquency ◽

Group Violence ◽

Organised Crime Groups ◽

High Level

This chapter explores the activities and characteristics of street gangs and organised crime groups in contemporary British society. Although numerous studies exist which investigate youth delinquency and group violence in Britain, there is less research which specifically investigates contemporary British criminal gangs - carrying out such an exploration is the organising principle of this chapter. Through conducting qualitative research at an adult men's prison in England and its surrounding area, this chapter attempts to articulate the experiences of prisoners and street-offenders on this subject. The results illustrate the entrenched role street gangs and organised crime groups hold in certain areas of England; not only are they seen as viable alternatives to gainful employment, but their activities are often sanctioned by the communities within which they are based. Subsequently, a high level of violence is normalised within such communities, including heightened levels of weapon usage by gang members, both within and outside prison.

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