Crime continues to be one of our greatest societal challenges, and the need for knowledge about its development and measures to reduce it are significant. The project focuses on organized crime that has a major impact on society.
Running from 2025 to 2027, this initiative builds on the insights and outcomes of a previous research project, details of which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Research Director: Louise Lorentzon, louise.lorentzon@sns.se, +46 707-91 21 72
Project Manager: Emelie Lekebjer, emelie.lekebjer@sns.se, +46 737-53 32 07
Akavia, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Deloitte, Fastighetsägarna Sverige, Fryshuset, Göteborgs stad, Insurance Sweden, Livsmedelshandlarna, Malmö stad, Mellby gård, Ministry of Finance, MKB Fastighets AB, Nordea, Polisförbundet, SEB, Stockholm stad, Swedbank, Swedish Customs, Swedish Economic Crime Authority, Swedish Payments Agency, Swedish Prosecution Authority, The Swedish Bar Association, The Swedish Police, The Swedish Prison and Probation Service, The Swedish Social Insurance Agency, The Swedish Tax Agency.
Organized crime includes unlawful influence, infiltration, corruption, and violence. It affects everyday citizens, politicians, public officials, and business owners alike. The driving force behind crime is often financial gain. The profits generated from crime are then reinvested in continued criminal activities. Criminal networks create and maintain illegal markets but also seek out and exploit vulnerabilities in various legal systems and individuals.
This project adopts a comprehensive perspective, exploring the diverse markets in which criminals operate. Historically, the drug market has received significant attention in criminal policy and by law enforcement agencies. Recent data shows that other markets can be just as lucrative for organized crime. For example, fraud targeting individuals, companies, and welfare systems has increased significantly. Labor market related crime and illegal waste management have also received increasing attention. The economic consequences of such crimes are far-reaching, including reduced tax revenues and unfair competition with legitimate businesses.
To disrupt these illegal operations, targeting money laundering is paramount. By intercepting the process of converting illicit gains into legal assets, authorities can weaken the financial foundations of criminal enterprises.
The development requires crime prevention and law enforcement agencies to develop their tools and methods. Additional agencies are included in the work against organized crime and to stop the criminal economy. Municipalities have been given a new statutory crime prevention responsibility. The role of the business sector and civil society is also receiving increasing attention.
Given that organized crime transcends borders, international collaboration has become indispensable. Both bilateral and multilateral efforts are critical.
The EU has adopted a number of priorities to combat serious and organized crime, such as drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, and cybercrime. The project will highlight examples of how the EU and its member states are addressing the increasingly well-organized criminal networks.
As society evolves, so do the patterns of crime, creating a need for new research and analysis. Researchers from different disciplines and countries will participate in the project. The project’s reference group plays a crucial role by providing researchers with valuable insights and expertise drawn from their diverse fields of experience.
Upcoming Seminars
Completed Seminars
In 2022, SNS launched the Crime and Society research project. We did this to contribute knowledge about how crime with a major negative impact on society can be countered. Issues such as municipal defection programs, infiltration of authorities, risk factors for recidivism, and effective social measures to prevent crime were highlighted.
The reports have received significant media coverage and public debate. The findings have reached policy makers in both the private and public sectors as well as politicians. Notably, some of the researchers presented their findings to the Committee on Justice. SNS conferences, seminars, and roundtable discussions have also become a platform for various parts of society to exchange experiences and find solutions on how to reduce crime.
Seminars in English and summaries of the reports are listed below.
IIES/SNS International Policy Talks: Jens Ludwig – Can Behavioral Science Reduce Crime? 2024.03.07
The EU’s fight against organized crime 2023.04.24
Social Policies as Crime Control 2022.11.22
Gun violence – what do we know and what to do? 2022.08.19
Business Owners and Consumers Against the Mafia 2024.11.26
SNS Research Brief 100. Using Behavioral Science to Reduce Crime and School Dropout 2024.03.07
What is the effect of police interventions and surveillance cameras on crime? 2024.02.26
Criminal Investigators’ Access to Existing Information in Electronic Communication Devices 2023.11.20
Does Placing Children in Out-of-Home Care Affect Their Future Criminality? 2023.11.20
Defections from Criminal Groups in the Largest Cities in Sweden: Analyzing Municipal Exit Programs 2023.10.03
The Importance of Neighborhoods for Crime and Children’s Life Outcomes 2023.09.12
Social Policies as Crime Control 2022.11.22