Risk, uncertainty and the assessment of organised crime

Abstract

Organised crime is not a ʼnatural’ crime phenomenon that can be observed, counted and classified like other crimes. More than most other types of crime, organised crime is a social construct that strongly reflects policy choices and beliefs. Organised crime is something - it is not a coincidence that organised crime is very often pictured as an active creature - that is considered threatening or dangerous to society and therefore serious in itself. The distinguishing feature is that it is ‘organised’ (Finckenauer, 2005), suggesting that the threat and seriousness of the phenomenon only stem from the way that such crimes are committed.