Preventing Organised Crime Australian-Style
27 Pages Posted: 31 May 2016
Date Written: May 29, 2016
Abstract
Australia’s approach to organised crime is evolving, with a growing recognition of the threats at both international and domestic levels and the need to work collaboratively to meet them. In recent years, a “tough on crime” policy has been adopted across Australia that focuses on exerting firm state control over associations between members of criminal organisations, with a view to disrupting their operations. But there are still gaps in Australia’s approach, particularly in relation to preventing organised crime infiltration into legitimate businesses.
This paper provides an overview of the Australian organised crime prevention landscape in 2016. It explains the anti-association approach adopted by states and territories, and outlines the rather ad hoc regulatory measures that deal with organised crime infiltration of legitimate businesses. It discusses new efforts being made, and obstructions that need to be overcome, to employ a more systematic regulatory approach to preventing organised crime, along the lines of the Dutch ‘administrative’ model.
Keywords: organised crime, crime prevention, regulation, outlaw motorcycle gangs, anti-association approach, consorting
JEL Classification: I18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation