National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

The use of violence within criminal organisations was studied in 462
investigations in the 1998–2001 period. Twenty percent of criminal
organisations used violence as a punishment within their own group.
No figures are available relating to the scale of violence between criminal
organisations. The general impression is that it happens on a regular basis,
in the absence of detailed information that is all that can be said.
5.3.4 Criminal organisation
Due to the variation in types, it is difficult to draw general conclusions about
criminal organisations in relation to the use of instrumental violence.
The way in which criminal organisations use internal violence differs. In some
criminal organisations there is a tendency to bind members by providing positive
incentives such as rewards. In other criminal organisations negative sanctions
(i.e. punishments) are used to keep members in line. The use of violence against
subordinates and assistants may indicate a hierarchical type of organisation.
The use of violence is sometimes a task carried out by specialists within the
group. Violence within organisations occurs on a regular basis in drugs cases
(both hard drugs and cannabis). Many assistants are involved in cannabis
growing, such as cutters, couriers and owners of locations where cannabis
nurseries are housed. All of these assistants have to be kept in line.
Violence between criminal organisations is used in all kinds of criminal sectors
and by criminal organisations with different group characteristics. In general
criminals appear to be more willing to work together than to fight each other
because fighting each other takes their attention away from their core business
of earning large sums of money from illegal activities. In addition, it also attracts
the attention of the police. Despite all this, violence occurs regularly because
criminals often get angry easily and do not always think before they act. Another
reason for using violence has to do with establishing a certain position of power.
One notable thing is that criminal organisations that use violence amongst
themselves are mostly long‐lasting organisations.
5.3.5 Consequences for Dutch society
The use of instrumental violence is important when it comes to assessing the
seriousness of the consequences of this type of crime for Dutch society. Victims of
the violence often bear the consequences for a very long time. Moreover, the rest
of the population can start to feel that they are not safe. In addition, the material
damage caused by violence can cost an enormous amount of money to repair.
190 National Threat Assessment 2008 – Organised crime