What works in tackling serious and organised crime?

Abstract

For the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), ITERU and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) conducted a rapid evidence assessment to assess existing evidence to answer the question “what works in tackling serious and organised crime?” To date, responses to tackle organised crime have tended to be led by law enforcement. However, a strong focus on legal and security responses to SOC can make initiatives reactive, neglecting the political, economic and social tools that could be used to manage SOC and the conditions that allow it to flourish and prosper in particular contexts. There is a growing recognition amongst development actors that development programmes have the potential to directly tackle SOC and criminal markets. Even more so is the recognition that programmes may also indirectly respond to SOC. This includes programmes that address the harms caused by SOC or respond to the factors that are conducive to SOC. A rapid evidence assessment and a summary of the findings are available