Organised property crimes in Belgium: the case of the 'itinerant crime groups'

摘要

The phenomenon of the so-called 'itinerant crime groups' is receiving increasing attention within Belgian and Western European law enforcement agencies. This interest stems from a variety of perceptions about these groups, and has led to a number of definitions about who and what they are, and policy measures in response to them. In this paper, the phenomenon and the characteristics ascribed to it in Belgium are empirically tested. This research finds that the features of mobility and nationality emerge as useful characteristics by which to study these crime groups. There are no indications that the special character of these groups is the consequence of policy-related attention, but rather it functions as a catalyst for this interest.