Rethinking Organised Crime

A complex phenomenon which has undergone significant changes in the past forty years, Leslie Holmes argues that organised crime is in need of re-conceptualisation. This innovative book navigates the evolution of this issue to grasp its full scope in the twenty-first century.

Critically analysing existing theories, Holmes provides a detailed explanation as to why we need to rethink organised crime, tracking changes such as the demographic of organised criminals, the increasing role of technology and crime’s move into the legitimate economy. The book details the major types of contemporary organised crime, both online and offline, and how they overlap with other forms of criminality, including white-collar crime, state crime, police criminality and terrorism. Finally, Holmes examines the major agencies involved in combating this issue, the methods they use and the extensive problems they encounter.

Campaigning for a broader way of theorising organised crime, this book is vital for students and scholars of criminology, political science and security studies. Its practical applications also make it a valuable read for practitioners involved in combating organised crime, including those working in law enforcement and legislation.