03 February 2010

Second SGOC Summer School on Organised Crime

With the support of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), its Standing Group on Organised Crime (SGOC) and the European Commission, the Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) will be hosting a two-week summer school on Organised Crime in Leuven, Belgium from June 28 to July 9, 2010.
Part of a series of three, the Leuven Summer School is entitled “Understanding and Fighting Organised Crime in the New Europe”. During this two-week period, 25 selected students and practitioners will have the unique opportunity to enrich their knowledge, discuss and critically analyse the challenges posed by organised crime and its control in contemporary Europe with international experts.
An international team of renowned scholars and high-ranking practitioners will give cutting-edge lectures. Confirmed speakers include:

 Dr. Felia Allum, University of Bath, UK
 Prof. Dr. Cyrille Fijnaut, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
 Dr. Philip Gounev, Center for the Study of Democracy, Sofia, Bulgaria and London School of Economics, UK
 Prof. Dr. Dick Hobbs, London School of Economics, UK
 Prof. Dr. Jörz Kinzig, Tübingen University, Germany
 Prof. Dr. Edward Kleemans, Free University Amsterdam and The Netherlands Ministry of Justice, The Netherlands
 Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Krajewski, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
 Dr. Anna Markina, University of Tartu, Estonia
 Prof. Dr. Letizia Paoli, K.U. Leuven, Belgium
 Prof. Dr. Dirk Van Daele, K.U. Leuven, Belgium
 Prof. Dr. Henk van de Bunt, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
 Prof. Tom van der Beken, Ghent University, Belgium
 Prof. Dr. Frank Verbruggen, K.U. Leuven, Belgium
For more information on the summer school, visit http://www.law.kuleuven.be/linc/english/ssoc/ or contact ssoc@law.kuleuven.be
The final deadline for applications will be March 15, 2010; see the website for further details.

02 February 2010

Two more arrested in drive against ETA

The Basque police, the Ertzainza, working with the National Police, in the biggest operation against ETA in seven years. There is a link in the article to the previous arrest of what reads like an alleged complete 5-man cell. Time to brush up that Spanish, hombres!

Hacking for fun and profit in China's Underworld

An insight into a Chinese hacker at work. Leaves open the question of how independent of government they are. All a bit William Gibson without the voodoo gods...

01 February 2010

Court to rule on reach of US regulator

And long overdue too! Everyone needs to know. Strong feeling the SEC is abusing its powers

The Jihadis next door

Story of an American prominent in the Shabab in Somalia, his background and his friends.

Hull stays top of car theft league

Swindon at the bottom...this all according to Endsleigh

Terrorism Financing Blacklists at risk

Article from the Washington Post that I missed first time around.

How teenage girls are groomed for a life of prostitution by UK gangs

Nasty little story, but this is also a puff for a forthcoming book.

Gangster used Facebook to intimidate enemies from cell

Colin Gunn from Nottingham. Any link to last story?? Original version of this story in Sunday Times. This one in the Independent.

Elite team sent in to rescue struggling Nottingham police

Article from the Independent. I remember being part of a group bidding for a research contract to explain why Nottingham had a crime problem about 20 years ago. We didnt get the contract and I never saw the report. The point is that this isnt new. Its also news to me that the UK possesses an elite team for policing. I assume this is simply a group from HMIC. Note that the aricle also expresses concern about Greaer Manchester Police.