8. Conclusions and reflection

This report described the approaches against organized crime in Denmark and Sweden. It focused in particular on the impacts and effectiveness of selected programs, projects and measures.

The report was prepared in the “Tackling Organized Crime: Viewpoints on Nordic Policies and Practices (TOC24)" project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report was implemented by the Police University College in cooperation with the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy of the University of Helsinki.

The key materials were collected from open sources and consisted of research literature and official documents. In addition, observations made during study visits to the target countries and statistical data on organized crime were used.

The information serves the implementation of Finland’s Government Program and the updating of the strategy against organized crime, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice. The report also supports the development of the activities of the authorities and the public and scientific debate on the topic.

8.1 Strategic programs and range of means

Towards diverse strategic programs

Long-term work against organized crime and gang crime has been carried out in Denmark and Sweden. With its gang packages, Denmark has been ahead of Sweden in this work. The most recent strategic programs against organized crime in these countries from 2023 and 2024 include a diverse range of measures and different areas of society have been widely harnessed in the implementation.

Strategic priorities have traditionally been related to preventing the growth of organized crime and breaking the spirals of armed conflict and vengeance between criminal gangs. However, the strategic programs in Sweden and Denmark have also started to emphasize themes related more broadly and deeply to the societal impacts of organized crime. Such themes include:

strengthening trust in society
preventing the misuse of public benefits
preventing money laundering, infiltration into business, corruption and improper influence
influencing operations organized and managed from abroad through international cooperation and exchange of information
protecting children and young people from exploitation by organized crime

Due to their fresh and diverse content, the new strategic programs of Denmark and Sweden against organized crime can be considered as good examples for other countries. In addition, measures to combat organized crime are widely available also in programs that are not specifically tailored against organized crime and gang crime.

Balancing between repressive methods and other methods

So-called hard or repressive measures, such as imposing substantially harsher penalties, have become more common in the toolkit against organized crime. The range of measures has also included a large number of stricter prohibitions, restrictions and control measures in various forms. The discussion on measures against organized crime has been strongly focused on these hard means.

The Danish regulation on doubling penalties for gang crime was the starting point for imposing harsher penalties for crimes committed in connection with organized crime.
Harsher penalties have been extended to apply to many other offenses, such as recruitment to criminal groups, new situations related to weapons, humiliating violence, providing false information to an authority, or obstructing the work of certain authorities.
The features of harder criminal policy have also been adopted in Sweden and are becoming increasingly prominent in the recent initiatives presented in Finland.

On the other hand, both Denmark and Sweden have a long tradition of using numerous other methods to combat organized crime. These include measures that facilitate and develop the operations of the authorities and other bodies. Measures to combat organized crime also include a wide range of support and protection measures for different target groups.

Development of the authorities' activities is diverse and concerns, for example, resources, powers, tools, situational picture, cooperation and information exchange. Measures have been targeted at various target groups, types of crime and investigation methods.
Nordic countries have a long tradition of “protecting the weakest”. In the fight against organized crime, special support is provided to children and young people, vulnerable areas and people who need protection in legal proceedings, in prisons and in exiting criminal groups.
Various forms of social support and other measures supporting early intervention are of particular importance in preventing the recruitment of children and young people for crime and the creation of a parallel society.

8.2 Impacts and effectiveness of measures

Scarce research evidence on the effectiveness of measures

The effectiveness of measures against organized crime and gang crime in Denmark and Sweden was assessed using a systematic literature review. The review concerned outcome evaluations and process evaluations and the strength of the related research evidence. The review found little evidence of the effectiveness of different measures based on strong set-ups.

However, promising observations are related to the following measures:

The Youth Crime Board intended for juveniles in Denmark: Results indicate, to some extent, a positive effect in terms of crime prevention. However, the system is complicated and extensive, and its implementation has generated a lot of debate in Denmark.
The joint operation Tore 2, aimed by the authorities at counteracting the parallel structure: The level of reported crime as well as perceived fear and vulnerability decreased during the project.
Increased police presence in vulnerable areas: More arrests for armed crimes and narcotics offenses and a reduction in the number of registered robberies and burglaries. Cooperation between property owners has also reduced the number of crimes in vulnerable areas.
Use of surveillance cameras: In Sweden, it was related to a reduction in violence, but not to a significant change in property crime or crime investigation. In Denmark, it was not found to prevent crime, but it improved the solving of crimes.

The process evaluations have also revealed some important observations about the effectiveness of the measures:

Allocating resources to a specific problem: Long-term regional police operations in vulnerable areas have shown good results, but temporary operations have a short-term effect.
Measures against organized crime: Measures targeting a wide range of crime problems, including crime by criminal groups, are often more effective in combating less organized and less serious crime.
Organizing exit work at the national level: Facilitating the organization of work, a multidisciplinary approach to work and the placement of those subject to serious threats.

Research data on the effectiveness of different measures presents challenges, although it can be considered more reliable than data based on the authorities’ self-assessments. Research data describes some of the measures in a targeted manner, but there are also many gaps in the knowledge. Effectiveness is often difficult to verify due to many influencing factors. Stronger and more diverse research data is needed to support future strategic work against organized crime. Research-based evaluations should therefore be part of the development and implementation of the strategy against organized crime.

Positive assessments of the effectiveness of the measures by the authorities

The authorities gave a moderately positive assessment on the effectiveness of measures to combat organized crime. These assessments were mapped using official documents and supplemented with information from short study visits.

The Danish authorities have promising experiences of the following measures, among others:

Harsher penalties: The gang provision on doubling penalties and, in part, imposing harsher penalties even in other respects are important tools for the police in particular.
Restriction of criminal gangs' operations: Restrictions on assembly rooms, area and residence bans and the prohibition of criminal gangs hamper the operations of gangs.
Multi-authority cooperation: Cross-administrative cooperation structures help prevent crime and misuse of benefits and in recovery of the proceeds of crime.
Criminal investigation: Rapid hearings in legal proceedings, higher rewards for tip-offs, strengthened digital analysis and a technology pool have improved investigations.
Witness protection: Remote interrogations and assault alarms issued to protect witnesses have helped protect witnesses involved in criminal groups.
Improving prison safety: Protected wards and stricter restrictions have improved the safety of prisoners and staff alike.
Support for exiting criminal groups: Multidisciplinary units and rehabilitation programs have reduced violent behavior and helped individuals in desisting from crime.

The Swedish authorities have promising experiences of the following measures, among others:

Diverse cooperation with the authorities: The shared situational picture function has enabled more proactive operations. Long-term multi-authority work has produced good results in combating serious violence and the criminal economy.
Enhanced monitoring and ensuring the integrity of register data: Verifications of the accuracy of the register data of companies and natural persons have prevented the exploitation of legitimate business for criminal purposes.
Work targeted at key actors: Local, regional, national and international cooperation has enabled the detection and prevention of criminal activities organized from abroad.
Protection of persons in a vulnerable position: When checked, connections of child protection and care companies to organized crime have been revealed and thus the need to protect vulnerable persons has been identified.
Preventing the exploitation of children and young people in crime: It is implemented, for example, through the Bob initiative. The authorities’ powers and the exchange of information between the authorities could be developed.
Measures related to the criminal economy: The police have been given the opportunity to investigate enforcement debts and seize property on their own initiative, which has promoted the recovery of the proceeds of crime.

The authorities’ information on the effectiveness of the measures involves various challenges. This information describes the measures extensively, but it is difficult to demonstrate the reliability and strength of the evidence. In principle, the information and assessments of the authorities should therefore be verified by means of an outcome evaluation. The information is often fragmented and does not include balanced views by different parties. Discussions with the authorities make it possible to specify the information in the documents and obtain information on matters not included in them, such as recent observations and future prospects. The information of the authorities has its own supplementary place in the monitoring of measures against organized crime. The authorities’ assessments of good practices also provide a starting point for the actual outcome evaluation.

8.3 Key themes and cross-cutting perspectives

Based on the written material compiled for the report, and the study visits, key target areas and challenges in the fight against organized crime have been identified. Table 6 depicts the four target areas that focus on children and young people, weapons and violence, criminal economy and the international dimension. Cross-cutting perspectives in these target areas are related to the knowledge base, the prerequisites for the activities of the authorities, cooperation, the selection of means, technology, trust and key rights.

Table 6. Key themes in combating organized crime in Denmark and Sweden

	Themes
	Children and young people	Weapons and violence	Criminal economy	International dimension
Objectives	Prevention of participation in crime Support for exiting from crime	Reducing the use of weapons and explosives Prevention of violent conflicts	Prevention of affiliation with legal business Prevention of money laundering Effective retrieval of proceeds of crime	Disclosure of cross-border crime Reducing the influence of international crime
Example of a current phenomenon	Use of minors for purposes of serious crimes also abroad	Violence against criminals’ relatives	Illegal exploitation of public funds and services	Criminal services in the preparation and execution of crimes
Cross-cutting perspectives	Information: statistics, reports, studies Activities: powers, resources, tools Cooperation: shared situational picture, cooperation forums, exchange of information Means: preventive, repressive, administrative Technology: communication platforms and technologies utilized by criminals and the authorities Trust: mutual trust between different actors in society Rights: fundamental and human rights, privacy, data protection

It is of paramount importance to protect children and young people from crime, because becoming involved in criminal networks' activities often has long-term negative social and economic consequences. The use of weapons and explosives as well as violence have traditionally been part of the core activities of organized crime, so that new measures targeting them are constantly needed. Money has been one of the key incentives for organized crime operations, and its significance has increased over time. Intervening in criminal cash flows and infiltration into corporate and public organizations curbs the criminal economy. The international perspective plays a key role in the management and operations of organized crime. Organized crime in Denmark and Sweden has links and competition both with each other and with foreign crime groups.

Current examples of organized crime phenomena show that the authorities must have flexibility to respond to the constantly changing operating environment. It should be noted that crime related to the themes presented does not take place only in physical environments, but increasingly also in cyber environments. Both environments must be taken into account in the resourcing and direction of official activities. In the future, crime in cyber environments will become more prominent.

Combating organized crime involves many cross-cutting perspectives, covering all or most thematic areas. The significance of diverse information to support decision-making and operations is becoming increasingly important. It is needed in various forms and for different purposes. However, very few outcome evaluations performed using strong research setups in particular are available.

In the fight against organized crime, it is essential to develop the framework for the authorities’ own operations and cooperation between different actors. The prerequisites for operations are improved by many basic factors, such as authorizations, resources and tools, a situational picture and appropriate cooperation forums as well as opportunities for exchanging information. A diverse and balanced range of methods promotes successful work against organized crime. Increasingly, the authorities’ selection of means also includes technological tools and related coercive measures to respond to increasingly technological organized crime.

Technology is developing rapidly, and new technologies are also spreading rapidly in use. In many respects, criminals use the same technology as the legitimate actors in society. For example, criminals use encrypted communications applications and software and dark webs to prepare and execute crimes. Therefore, the authorities must be prepared to keep pace with technological developments and make efficient use of the latest technology for purposes such as criminal intelligence or criminal investigation.

Trust between different actors in society supports the fight against organized crime on a widespread basis. Criminal groups and networks are increasingly seeking to infiltrate both legal business operations and public administration structures at different levels. In addition, they make versatile use of purchased services in their criminal activities. Strengthening trust can be used to mitigate this development and prevent the emergence of a so-called parallel society.

In the target countries’ work against organized crime, the frequency of regulation has increased due to the expanded range of measures. This may enhance the work against organized crime, but it may also include questionable features related to citizens’ privacy, the protection of personal data, fundamental rights or human rights. Finding a balance between citizens’ safety and effective crime prevention, on the one hand, and the rights and protection of the targets of the measures, on the other, requires careful weighing.

8.4 Notes concerning Finland

About the applicability of Denmark and Sweden's measures to Finland

Operating models applied in one country to prevent crime cannot be transferred to another country as they are. However, it can be estimated to be more successful in countries fairly similar with each other, such as the Nordic countries.

Denmark and Sweden's strategic programs against organized crime include many measures that have not been tried out in Finland. Therefore, it is possible to copy, for example, a basic idea of a measure to combat organized crime and tailor it to suit Finnish circumstances. However, due to the characteristics of the phenomenon, the organization of crime prevention, the crime situation or geographical location, Finland may have special characteristics due to which the Swedish and Danish models are not directly suitable for us.

If the measures to be tried out are to be based on strong research evidence, the range of possible measures is substantially narrowed, or they must also be sought outside the target countries of this report. For this reason, various agile experiments against organized crime, for example, also play an important role in the development of measures in the Finnish operating environment.

In Finland, it is important to ensure that the cooperation capacities and information sharing mechanisms of the authorities, which have been emphasized especially in Denmark and Sweden, are also sufficiently agile and facilitate the effective prevention of organized crime. A realistic and shared situational picture provides an essential basis for prevention measures, as do the planning and implementation of knowledge-based, targeted measures. In recent years, the importance of international crime prevention cooperation has been emphasized between Denmark and Sweden, but also more broadly. Finland must continue to ensure that it is actively involved in the relevant cross-border cooperation against organized crime.

Organized crime is a special form of crime that requires targeted measures. However, it is also linked to other forms of crime, criminal policy and security policy. Thus, also other measures than those described in this report could be essential elements in combating organized crime.

Update of Finland’s strategy for the prevention of organized crime

The “Tackling Organized Crime – Nordic Policies and Practices” project is linked to the update of Finland’s strategy for the prevention of organized crime. The information collected in the project has been made available to the working group preparing the update of the strategy since summer 2024. The strategy was mainly prepared in 2024, and the aim was to prepare a Government resolution on its content early 2025.

As the operating environment changes rapidly, up-to-date information on organized crime is constantly needed. This involves diverse information from the authorities and other actors as well as solid research data on organized crime and the related special phenomena. Such information is also needed to assess the implementation of the strategic measures and prepare for future updates of the strategy.

The data from this project, which has examined the operating models of Denmark and Sweden, provides a sound basis for monitoring organized crime and measures against it in Finland. At best, the practices created in Finland can support other countries in preparing, implementing and monitoring their strategies and measures against organized crime in the future.