Using SNA to Solve Crimes

When one thinks of organizational social networks, criminals are not likely the first thing to come to mind. But criminal activity has ties to strong social networks. Gangs, organized crimes,  and terrorists have strong social networks based on religion, culture, race, and political affiliations binding the members of the network together (Hulst, 2009). While they all have different reasons for bonding, they all share similar principals for organizational structure (Hurst, 2009). Organized crime associates build networks by seeking relationships through joint business ventures, hire employees that will work for the organization, usually have legal and illegal business dealings, have relationships with law enforcement personnel, and have strong relationships with social structures if it helps strengthen their organizational structure (Hulst, 2009). Fijnaut et al (1998) used the organized criminal activity in the Netherlands as the crossing point for criminals from various locations operating on a global level. Domestic and international crime organizations have various activities requiring strategic planning leading to actions taken (Hurst, 2009). It is important for law enforcement agencies to have a full understanding of the actors involved if they want to solve crimes and dismantle organized crime organizations.

The social network of organized crime is comprised of actors, activities, resources, and events (Hurst, 2009). Law enforcement agencies need to understand who the actors are, any previous criminal activity the actors have been involved in, and what crime has taken place. Further, law enforcement needs to determine if the crime is tied to an organized network, and most specifically who the exact actors are involved in the crime (Hurst, 2009). After determining the participants and their roles, detectives must understand the actions taken, crime location, and date of the crime, which hopefully leads them to the motive to solve the crime.  

Understanding Social Network Analysis (SNA) gives knowledge and insight into criminal networks, which can help police agencies solve crimes. In 2011, working with researchers for Virginia Commonwealth University, the Richmond Police Department implemented a SNA strategy into the criminal activity investigations in their jurisdiction (Seliger, 2012).  The strategy was based on two groups of young men that had previously good relations with one another and now were showing violence against each other (Seliger, 2012). The analysis was based on the local gangs in the area,  roles of gang members, gang activity, and any previous arrest records for any of the gang members (Seliger, 2012). The analysis identified 24 persons of interest plus any 4 people out , any familial ties, any relationship ties such as friends or friends of friends, gender, and any previous negative ties (Seliger, 2012). The analysis was a success because the information was identical to what police detectives had already determined through their investigations, but it also identified six new actors not identified by the gang force detectives (Seliger, 2012). Based on these results, law enforcement agencies should use SNA to understand criminal organizations and possibly identify new actors previously unknown to investigators.

 SNA is a vital tool for many organizations. Relationships, roles, activities, strategies, and outcomes can all be impacted by understanding the theory of SNA. Furthermore, based on research conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Richmond, VA police department, law enforcement agencies can benefit from implementing SNA based off of the initial results. However, detectives must be careful with their perceptions of the actors and the information used for SNA, so the outcome is as accurate as possible (Seliger, 2012). This research is just the beginning of how criminal investigations will evolve as technology and research capabilities continue to improve. This research will assist police in understanding the participants, their roles, the motives, the actions, and the locations, which can lead to arrests in investigations and most importantly help detectives protect citizens and themselves.


Reference

Fijnaut C, Bovenkerk F, Bruinsma G (1998). Organized crime in the Netherlands. Kluwer Law
International, The Hague, the Netherlands

Hulst, R. (2009). Introduction to Social Network Analysis (SNA) as an investigative tool. Trends In Organized Crime, 12(2), 101-121. doi:10.1007/s12117-008-9057-6

Seliger, D. (2012). Visualizing crime networks to help police solve crime. http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/visualizing_criminal_networks_to_help_police_solve_crime_22462.asp