From insight to action: follow-up workshop on the CEPOL Research and Science Conference

On 27 November, CEPOL hosted an online follow-up workshop to build on the momentum of the CEPOL Research & Science Conference 2024/2025 on Tackling the world of High-Risk Criminal Networks (HRCN).

The workshop, which reunited more than 100 participants from the conference held last March in Ostia (Rome, Italy), aimed to keep the conversation alive, synthesise major findings and ensure that the insights from the conference continue to inspire action. Its primary objective was to facilitate an open exchange of views, identify research gaps, and collect feedback from a broader audience.

Opening the workshop, Roeland Woldhuis, CEPOL's Head of Corporate Services Unit, underlined the importance of working together to close the gap between theory and practice –an idea that became a guiding thread throughout the event in Ostia:

We need the academic community to provide rigorous analysis, data trends, provide ideas and a long-term view. And we need the practitioners to provide the reality check, the operational context, and the ‘ground truth’. When these two forces work in tandem, we can create a training environment that is robust, relevant, and resilient.

The programme featured four thematic panels, each exploring a different dimension of HRCN and Organised Crime Groups (OCGs).

• Panel 1: HRCN vs. OCG, explored the distinctions and convergences between HRCNs and OCGs, with renowned professors and researchers presenting their findings.
• Panel 2: Advanced investigative techniques for HRCN & public security examined advanced investigative techniques for HRCNs and public security, with presentations on the European Union's forthcoming priorities and strategies, the Italian Repentant system, and the value of community policing.
• Panel 3: AI & technologies enhancing HRCN crime expansion and LE action, explored the role of technology in combating HRCN. The discussion touched on the capability gaps in technology and regulation, the significance of addressing fraud, fake news, and identity theft, and the potential of AI and other technologies to recognize and combat these crimes.
• Panel 4: The role of witnesses and the support to victims: when a crime offender becomes the witness & victim, examined the critical issues surrounding witness evidence and victimisation in the context of HRCNs, highlighting the need for a sensitive approach to witness engagement and support.

The four panels provided complementary insights, collectively highlighting the need for strong collaboration between academics, researchers and practitioners.

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Ultimately, the workshop underscored the need for a comprehensive and contextualised approach to combatting HRCNs and OCGs, recognising the complexities and challenges posed by these networks. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration between academics, researchers, and practitioners, with CEPOL positioned as a knowledge hub for European law enforcement training. The workshop's findings and recommendations could inform future strategies for combatting HRCNs and OCGs, promoting a safer and more secure Europe.