Exploring the relationship between organised crime and volume crime

Volume crimes such as burglary, theft, criminal damage, drug possession, assault and fraud are often treated in popular discourse as a separate category of criminal behaviour to crimes committed by organised criminal groups. Yet in reality there is considerable overlap, with organised criminal groups involved in various forms of volume crime. As part of a program of work investigating the criminal histories of members of organised criminal groups, this study explores the different ways in which such offenders could be involved with volume crime and their motivations for doing so. A typology describes eight ways in which members of organised criminal groups are involved in volume crime. These include professional organisation, methodologically sophisticated crime, covert business practices, service provision, brokerage, business protection, income generation and way of life. Further research should quantify the extent to which members of organised criminal groups in Australia participate in these activities.