A research project funded by the Ministry of the Interior examined the current state of street gang crime and explored what is needed to effectively disrupt the activities of criminal networks.
How are young people recruited into criminal networks, and how can this be prevented? How can the money and other benefits gained from criminal activity be most effectively seized? How can cooperation between authorities be strengthened?
In the research project “Current state of gang crime, tackling it, and seizing the proceeds of crime”, experts from the police administration were interviewed about the current state of gang crime prevention and effective operational models. In addition, official materials, research literature, and public debate were analyzed.
The results will be used to develop knowledge-based operations and cooperation between authorities.
Youth involvement is concerning
Interviewees described the street gang phenomenon as evolving and multifaceted: the groups are network-based and simultaneously local and international.
One of the concerning findings of the project was the involvement of young people in criminal networks: children under the age of 15 are often recruited into criminal activity with promises of money, status, and a sense of belonging.
"Combating this phenomenon raises questions about cooperation between authorities and the regulation of information sharing, for example with child protection services", says project researcher Kimmo Kuukasjärvi from the Police University College.
A challenge for society
The study confirmed the well-known observation that effective crime prevention requires cooperation and information sharing between authorities. This, in turn, calls for clearer regulation, good information management, and, for example, the police’s right of access to information.
Comprehensive preventive measures are needed.
"Broadly speaking, it is about how criminal networks acquire resources and how these resources affect security, trust, and the operational capacity of authorities in society. In Sweden, for example, criminal networks have already succeeded in creating alternative power structures, and the impacts
are widely visible in society", Kuukasjärvi explains.
The project was carried out by the Ministry of the Interior, the National Police Board, and the Police University College as part of the action plan for combating the grey economy and economic crime.
Translation made with the help of artificial intelligence.
