Crime

FEATURE: A recent survey by the Australian Institute of Criminology suggests that, as with more traditional forms of crime, members of the public overestimate the likelihood that they will be a victim of AI‑enabled crime; but while frequent users of AI-enabled technology must be encouraged to employ more protective behaviours, those reluctant to use it should be supported to do so safely and confidently, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

ANALYSIS: 3D-printed ‘ghost guns’ have become increasingly in demand by criminal groups, partly because of the belief that such weapons are untraceable; but new research by Dr Georgina Sauzier and PhD candidate Michale Vic Adamos of Western Australia’s Curtin University suggests that chemical analysis of the filaments used to print the guns could help forensic investigators and police to link a seized gun and seized filament, or guns seized from different cases.

FEATURE: With both Europol and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime highlighting the threats posed by Eastern European and Balkans organised crime groups (OCGs) expanding further across the continent, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the efforts of the EU (through CEPOL), Europol, and international collaborations involving the UK’s National Crime Agency amongst others, to tackle these ‘High-Risk Criminal Networks’.

FEATURE: Research recently published by The Police Foundation on the health impact of fraud is calling for a national evidence-based ‘vulnerability framework’ to ensure a more consistent approach towards victims by police forces in England and Wales, along with a multi-agency, trauma-informed service model for victims, amid concerns over the life-threatening impact of the crime and the fear that police are being left to fill the gap in specialist support, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: A recent evaluation of the Serious Violence Duty – introduced in England and Wales under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 – has underlined the importance of data sharing and the key role of analysis in supporting inter-agency collaboration and the implementation of a ‘whole-system’ approach to tackling serious violence, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: Victims of domestic abuse are encouraged to speak up, report abuse and ask for help, but all too often – and even when they do everything asked of them – the system fails to act, says Marco Fiorentino, former probation officer and Executive Director at NEC Digital Studio, who describes how safeguarding systems can work together to keep women and children safe.

INTERVIEW: Wildlife and environmental crime is now estimated to be the fourth largest organised transnational crime sector, with significant overlaps into other forms of organised crime; Professor Phill Cassey, Director of the Wildlife Crime Research Hub at Adelaide University, explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the need for dedicated policing units to tackle the crime, alongside new legislation and tougher penalties for offenders.

OPINION: Australia, like many other countries, has a long history of organised crime, much of which has flourished by exploiting illicit markets; Deakin University Associate Professor Dr James Martin, and University of Sydney Senior Lecturer Dr Edward Jegasothy, argue that the current government reliance on restrictions, penalties and police powers to disrupt supply and “crush” organised crime is actually more likely to drive it, and suggest a better route would be to bring better regulated markets into the open.

FEATURE: With fraud remaining a constant and growing threat to individuals, businesses and national economies, and with the rapidly developing digital tools available to organised crime groups, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest assessment from Europol of the need for financial services organisations to prioritise post-quantum cryptography – particularly for point-of-sale systems – to protect both consumers and businesses.

ANALYSIS: As UK policing starts to embrace machine-learning solutions and interest in algorithmic risk assessments grows, Tamara Polajnar, CEO of herEthical AI, explores the existing domestic abuse assessment tools, the importance of understanding how automated risk assessment is used and should be applied, and what steps need to be taken to ensure automation and algorithms can extract vital domestic abuse details and context lost in traditional tick-box methodologies.

INTERVIEW: Dorset Police’s Survivors’ Network was launched after several officers who came forward to complain of harassment, inappropriate behaviour and abuse found they lacked support; Chief Superintendent Julie Howe, who launched the award-winning initiative, explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons that the network is now helping to drive cultural change around misogyny and violence against women and girls, including those experiencing abuse in their private lives.

INTERVIEW: Human trafficking and exploitation are challenges that law enforcement cannot “police your way out of”, warns UCL’s Ella Cockbain, Professor of Human Trafficking and Exploitation, with more focus on a public health approach, improved listening to the voices of victims and survivors, and a better understanding of what really works among the key steps to meeting those challenges, as Prof Cockbain explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: With the latest analyses by both the National Crime Agency and the European Union Drugs Agency highlighting the continuing rise of drug misuse across the continent, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the work of a new project that focuses on upskilling local police, city prevention services, and youth and social workers as part of a multi-stakeholder approach to tackling the impact of the drug misuse.

INNOVATION: A study of drug violence dynamics on Merseyside has highlighted the importance of understanding the “informal governance mechanisms” employed by organised crime groups (OCGs), and has led to the creation of a ‘co-operation index’ tool which can help police to more effectively target resources and prevent increased violence between OCGs, as researcher Dr Andrea Giovannetti explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: New research highlights the gaps in police awareness and understanding of ‘non-fungible tokens’ (NFTs) and their exploitation – particularly by organised crime gangs – in areas such as theft and money laundering; Professors Saskia Hufnagel and Colin King of the University of Sydney Law School spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the fear police are “multiple steps” behind criminals in investigating NFT crimes, the call for better training, and the need for more legal clarity based on case law.

FEATURE: Research by the Youth Endowment Fund among 13-17-year-olds in England and Wales indicates that 240,000 youngsters had been or in a gang, while 440,000 criminally exploited teenagers had been approached to sell or transport drugs, or store drugs, weapons or money; but the study also highlights that more teenagers have left gangs than are currently involved with them, suggesting “timely and co-ordinated support” can give them “a real chance to live a life free from violence”, reports Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: In the wake of the recent attempted bombing in Perth being declared a terrorist act, and growing concerns around hate crime and extremism, Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor is now undertaking an inquiry into the country’s legal definition of terrorism; Griffith University Associate Professor Dr Keiran Hardy explores the current definition and related offences, why the wording is so important, and whether the existing legal definition is fit for purpose.

FEATURE: The increase in online Holocaust denial and disinformation, alongside the social media surge in both antisemitic and anti-Islamic language, have prompted concerns that such digital hate speech can fuel criminal acts in the real world; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the scale of online antisemitic hate crime and the work of the European Observatory of Online Hate.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says GenAI-related child exploitation increased 6,345% in the US from 2024 to 2025. One alarming trend is the use of GenAI to general deepfake child sexual abuse materials. SS8 helps detect and investigate these images by combining EXIF metadata analysis, third party detection solutions like wasitAI, lawful intelligence data, and more, but standardized legal definitions and technological guardrails are necessary as well.

INTERVIEW: With the growth of online hate speech and disinformation, and its role in fuelling real-world criminal activity, tackling the damaging digital narratives has become a priority for many organisations and jurisdictions; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Paula Gomila Marqués, who contributes to the implementation, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination activities of the European Union’s HATEDEMICS project, which seeks to address the intersection of online hate speech and disinformation.

INSIGHT: The Canadian Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (CIBIN) has become a valuable tool in firearms investigation, turning ballistic evidence into actionable intelligence capable of linking cases, suspects, and criminal networks; but to ensure that CIBIN increases the capability to combat gun crime, law enforcement must continue to prioritise data and intelligence collection and sharing, say Vernon White, former head of Ottawa Police, and Soham Thorat, a technical and strategic expert in firearms intelligence.

FEATURE: A report on the scale of violence experienced by young people aged 13-17 in England and Wales – one of four reports drawn from a survey undertaken by the Youth Endowment Fund – found that half of them had witnessed violence, nearly one in five had been a victim, and one in eight admitted carrying out violence themselves, while more than 80% of those aged 13-17 have viewed conversations online about hurting specific groups, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: In response to an apparent surge in youth gang crime, Victoria Police in Australia have reportedly begun issuing ‘anti-association orders’ to prevent youngsters being drawn into gangs; but Dr Kathryn Benier of Monash University and Dr Angela Higginson of Queensland University of Technology argue that alongside clearer understanding of why young people join gangs, better funded early intervention and prevention programs are needed for sustainable reductions in youth violence and gang involvement.

FEATURE: A report capturing key insights, challenges, and priorities identified during a roundtable on intelligence and serious and organised crime (SOC) – featuring officers and intelligence leads from more than 30 UK forces alongside regional organised crime units and overseas partners – is calling for intelligence to be repositioned as the “strategic engine” in the fight against SOC, and sets out steps to build capacity and embed an intelligence-led culture, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.