RT Article
T1 Social network analysis as a tool for criminal intelligence: understanding its potential from the perspectives of intelligence analysts
JF Trends in organized crime
VO 21
IS 3
SP 278
OP 294
A1 Burcher, Morgan
A2 Whelan, Chad
LA English
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1819016617
AB Over the past two decades an increasing number of researchers have applied social network analysis (SNA) to various ‘dark’ networks. This research suggests that SNA is capable of revealing significant insights into the dynamics of dark networks, particularly the identification of critical nodes, which can then be targeted by law enforcement and security agencies for disruption. However, there has so far been very little research into whether and how law enforcement agencies can actually leverage SNA in an operational environment and in particular the challenges agencies face when attempting to apply various network analysis techniques to criminal networks. This papergoes some way towards addressing these issues by drawing on qualitative interviews with criminal intelligence analysts from two Australian state law enforcement agencies. The primary contribution of this paper is to call attention to the organisational characteristics of law enforcement agencies which, we argue, can influence the capacity of criminal intelligence analysts to successfully apply SNA as much as the often citied ‘characteristics of criminal networks’.
NO Published: 24 May 2017
NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 292-294
K1 Social Network Analysis
K1 Criminal networks
K1 Criminal network characteristics
K1 Dark networks
K1 Law enforcement organisational characteristics
DO 10.1007/s12117-017-9313-8