Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a better method for prioritising organised criminal groups, utilising the existing literature on organised crime and risk assessment.

Design/methodology/approach – The study began with an existing prioritisation model, and then involved a review of relevant literature in the fields of organised crime and risk assessment tools. It was then followed by iterative development of a new tool, the Criminal Group Risk Assessment Model (CGRAM), including semi-structured discussions with subject matter experts to ensure the validity of the tool.

Findings – There is little agreement on key concepts and definitions of organised crime, and perhaps because of this, a large number of prioritisation tools with widely differing methodologies and guiding philosophies. A better tool can be developed through a closer examination of the academic literature and careful consideration of all relevant factors, including control measures and ease of use.

Research limitations/implications – Research was limited by the unavailability of source material on other risk assessment tools, and in particular any documents explaining the conceptual underpinnings of those tools.

Practical implications – CGRAM provides an easy-to-use tool for the prioritisation of organised criminal groups and could be of substantial use to law enforcement agencies worldwide due to its universal approach.

Originality/value – While there are many prioritisation tools around, most of them are constrained by a limited conception of organised crime and a seeming lack of attention to the academic literature. CGRAM, while simple and easy to use, is founded on a sound research base and could provide a universal aid to law enforcement agencies.