Gang crime and policing in clusters: On crime prevention in criminal investigations
Short description
The purpose of the project is to examine the work of the Swedish police in addressing gang violence. In recent years, progress has been made in terms of both reduced crime levels and in crime prevention. Clearance rates have also gone up. One explanation provided by the police is that they “investigate crimes in clusters”. At the same time, it is unclear what precisely accounts for these recent successes.
About the research
Behind the "cluster investigation approach" lies organizational reforms, which involve large-scale coordination of various cases with new analytical concepts and new operational methods. Additionally, there are clear crime prevention elements that cross both geographical and organizational boundaries, which have traditionally posed challenges for police work.
The project aims to explore the police work with clustering based on three questions:
- What analytical concepts have driven the work of investigating crimes in clusters?
- What organizational reforms can be linked to the work of investigating crimes in clusters?
- How are analyses and reforms translated into the concrete work of investigating crimes in clusters?
The analytical framework for the project is drawn from crime analysis and sociology. Field research will be conducted using qualitative data in three sub-studies focusing on two police regions.
The study’s significance lies in its observation of positive trends that can be linked to innovative police work, particularly how investigative thinking can be utilized to detect, deter, and prevent violent crimes.
Participating researchers
Micael Björk, Professor of Sociology, University of Gothenburg
Roy Liff, Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Skövde
Charlotta Thodelius, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Borås