Organized Crime Monitor

Research method

The main sources of this ongoing research project are files of closed Dutch police investigations of criminal groups, often spanning a period of several years. Since 1996 up to now, we have analyzed systematically 150 large-scale investigations. Each case study always starts with structured interviews with police officers and/or public prosecutors. After these interviews we analyze and summarize the police files. Describing and analyzing these files, use is made of an extensive checklist which elaborates upon the following leading questions: What is the composition of the group and how do offenders cooperate? What kinds of illegal activities do they engage in and how do they operate? How do they interact with the opportunities and risks of their environment? What are the proceeds of the criminal activities and how do they spend these proceeds? Transcripts of wiretaps, and data obtained from police observations and interrogations of victims and offenders, often provide us with a detailed and interesting look into the social world of organized crime.

Following four data sweeps we now have collected a wide cross-section of 150 cases, not only about the various forms of organized crime and various forms of cooperation, but also set within a specific timeframe. In addition, use was made of expert interviews, information from other investigations, confidential reports, crime analyses and (scientific) literature.

Organized Crime Monitor reports in Dutch with an Englisch summary