Concurrent session 2b—Networks: Understanding trafficking in stolen vehicles—combining script anaylsis with network analysis

Dr Rick Brown, Deputy Director Research, Australian Institute of Criminology

Organised vehicle theft continues to be a problem in Australia, as shown by the recent increases in unrecovered thefts of stolen vehicles. This paper discusses how an understanding of the problem can be developed by combining crime script analysis with network analysis. This can be used to identify the role of ‘brokers’ in a network, who control key aspects of the network’s criminal activities. Previous research has shown how targeting these brokers may provide an effective means of disrupting a criminal enterprise. The paper will draw on research from Canada and show how these approaches could be applied in the Australian context.