Concurrent session 1c—Policing: Going Dutch? Comparing approaches to preventing organised crime in Australia and the Netherlands

Ms Julie Ayling, Research Fellow,ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security, Regulatory Institutions Network

This presentation compares the approaches of Australia and the Netherlands to the prevention of organised crime. In many respects, these countries are similar and have many organised crime problems in common. But their responses to those problems have been quite distinct. The Dutch administrative approach has been hailed as both unique and successful, while the Australian approach (primarily a reactive criminal law-based response) has encountered a storm of criticism. The presentation will address the question of whether and what Australia could learn from the Dutch approach.