Seminar 'Local embeddedness of organized crime'

Wednesday May 24, 2017

Location: University Utrecht – Raadzaal – Achter Sint Pieter 200 – 3512 HT Utrecht

 

Although organized crime brings to our minds associations with international criminal activities,  most inflictors of organized crime appear to be home-based and operating from their familiar surroundings. This aspect of local embedding of organized crime has been given too little attention. In this seminar on local embedding we will discuss different aspects of locally organized crime and we will also focus on the possibilities this local dimension offers for tracing and approach.

The seminar starts with foreign experience in this field. Sean Redmond (University of Limerick) discusses the influence of local criminal networks on Irish children. Lars Korsell, an advisor and researcher involved in Swedish safety issues, will talk about the local dimension and possibilities concerning tackling organized crime in Sweden.

After lunch we will  turn our heads to the Netherlands. Bart de Graaf (Municipality of Amsterdam) and Nazly Saadat (Amsterdam Police) give an account of a project focused on the approach of criminal families in Amsterdam. Robby Roks (Erasmus School of Law) will subsequently shed a light on the local embedding of a Dutch 'gang', de Rollin 200 Crips. With the Casus Explorer/Operation Meeting Point, which revealed a criminal marketplace for drugs trafficking, Public prosecutor Toine van de Ven offers a fine perspective on the approach of locally established organized crime. Finally Pieter Tops (Tilburg Law School) will elaborate on his book  De achterkant van Nederland  (The reverse side of the Netherlands), in which he creates a fascinating picture of the interwoven under- and straight world in local communities. Henk van de Bunt will act as co referent. The day will be rounded off by a discussion.