What is CIROC?
CIROC is an international criminological centre which was founded in 2001 by the departments of criminology at two Dutch universities, the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), and the WODC, the Research and Documentation Centre of the Dutch Ministry of Justice. The Universiteit Maastricht is now participant in CIROC as well.
By acting as an international information provider, we aim to play a role in generating, providing access to and disseminating knowledge of organised crime and the fight against it. CIROC also sees itself as a network builder: in the Netherlands, we endeavour to build a bridge between the science of criminology and the practice of investigation, prosecution and trial. At the international level, we expand and strengthen professional networks in our area of expertise.
CIROC works for and with different target groups. At the international level, these groups are mainly researchers and research institutions, government bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the European Commission, the United Nations and agencies charged with investigation, prosecution and trial. In the Netherlands, we focus mainly on researchers and research institutes, the central government, the Public Prosecution Service, investigating authorities, the judiciary and the relevant professions.
The different menu options give you specific information about our mission, vision and activities and about the people behind CIROC.
Mission - Vision - Activities - Who is involved?