Research project SO/02/018 (Research action SO)
The threat of organized crime (for) in society has increased considerably and the approach of this phenomenon ranks high on policy makers priority lists. Having a correct notion of this phenomenon is crucial since effectively curbing this complex form of crime demands a solid knowledge base. Until now the conceptualisation of organized crime (Annual reports organized crime of the Minister of Justice, Annual reports Europol, reports Interpol,...) is limited to the redaction of a situation report in which the phenomenon is visualized based on data coming from law and order maintaining authorities (number of studies in the field of organized crime, convictions,...). Because this kind of description is merely a reproduction police and justice activities and refers to the past, there is need for a more future oriented (picture) approach based on a more correct picture of the threat posed (risk/threat assessment) whether or not this threat has manifested itself in established crimes. This can only be achieved by using other quantitative and qualitative data brought to the analysis, and by giving the analysis a multidisciplinary character.
The analysis of the vulnerability of certain economic sectors (for the phenomenon of organized crime) is considered to be one of the main instruments for the modification of situation reports into a fully future-oriented threat assessment. The proposed research project aims at a scientific refinement of existing methodologies and, based on this, an analysis of the threat of organized crime for the diamond sector in Belgium as a case study. The use of a case-study will allow us to investigate a particular sector and formulate general recommendations that are useful for the sector itself as well as for policy makers. Although the diamond sector is nothing more than a case on which a method will be tested (which could mean that other sectors (e.g. construction industry, oil industry,...) could be examined), several aspects justify the selection of this sector. The analysis of the diamond sector allows to, from a mainly Belgian point of view, carry out research into the threat of organized crime for a sector which is spread worldwide. This way, taking the central role of Belgium for this sector into account, the international dimension (of the sector analysis) can be tested at its maximum using a minimum of means. Moreover, in reference to existing theories the diamond sector has some specific characteristics which seem to be very attractive to organized crime (private character, great money rotation, special rules,...). The vulnerability of the diamond sector (to organized crime) seems to have social and public policy relevance. Problems have drawn the attention of the Belgian Parliament and the Belgian press, even if there is little or no scientific research that allows the formulation of general statements on this topic.
1. Questions
The first part of study will analyse how the vulnerability of the legal economic sectors (for organized crime) can be measured. The following basic research questions have to be looked into:
a. How organized crime can be defined ?
b. To what extent organized does crime form a threat for the legal economy ?
c. What is an economic sector? How can the legal economy be divided in sectors ?
d. How can the vulnerability of a sector (for crime in general and organized crime in particular) be visualized and what kind of data (quantitative, qualitative, economic, non-economic) can be used ?
e. Which economic sectors could be designated as vulnerable ?
2. Methodology
The basic research questions can be answered by making use of the following methodology:
a. A study of the existing literature concerning the definition of organized crime and the relation between organized crime and the legal economy;
b. By means of a national and international literature study and by questioning several key persons in Belgium and abroad working as civil servants (police, justice, customs) and in the private sector (consultancy and audit) making an inventory of the existing sector analysis and methodologies;
c. Evaluate the existing sector analysis and methodologies based on points (a) and (b);
d. The development of an own methodology for sector analysis.
3. The case study
The second part of the research aims at a concrete application of the methodolgy developped in the first part of the research project. Taking the importance of the first part of the study into acount it is quite obviously impossible to give overview of all the elements of the analysis and the data that will be applied at this time. However, it is possible at this stage to state that the analysis will be elaborated in a multidisciplinary way, involving economic and non-economic data which will lead to an integrated general conclusion and concrete policy recommendations.
Het meten van de kwetsbaarheid van de legale economische sectoren voor de georganiseerde misdaad : eindrapport
Vander Beken, Tom - Cuyvers, Ludo - De Ruyver, Brice ... et al Gent : Academia Press, 2003 (PB6005)
Kwetsbaarheid voor georganiseerde criminaliteit : een gevalstudie van de diamantsector : einrapport 2
Vander Beken, Tom - Cuyvers, Ludo - De Ruyver, Brice ... et al Gent : Academia Press, 2004 (PB6081)
Het meten van de kwetsbaarheid van de legale economische sectoren voor georganiseerde criminaliteit : samenvatting
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2004 (SP1360)
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Mesure de la vulnérabilité des secteurs économiques légaux à la criminalité organisé : résumé
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2004 (SP1361)
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Measuring the vulnerability of legal economic sectors for organised crime : summary
Brussels : Science Policy Office, 2004 (SP1362)
[To download]
Bibliografic references :
