Patterns of Outlaw Biker Criminal Career Development

• In Event: Research Network on Biker Crime: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Friends, Foes or Folk Devils?

Abstract

Members of outlaw biker clubs have repeatedly been associated with deviance and crime. This link between outlaw biker clubs and crime has been explained by arguing that (a) these clubs tend to attract crime-prone individuals (selection), (b) these clubs generate a criminogenic environment increasing the risk of members’ offending (facilitation), and (c) by a combination of these processes (enhancement). Previous research also stressed the need to differentiate between crimes inherent to the outlaw biker subculture, and crimes indicative of organized forms of crime. In this study we use criminal career data on a sample of over 2,000 police-identified members of Dutch outlaw motorcycle clubs to examine the extent to which different criminal career patterns can be distinguished characterized by developmental trajectories in different types of crime. Using multiple trajectory models, we also examine the extent to which these different criminal career patterns are associated with a members’ individual characteristics (e.g. being a club leader) and club features (e.g. support/puppet club versus outlaw motorcycle club). Results show important differences in criminal career patterns across individual members of outlaw motorcycle clubs, as well as differences in the distribution of these patterns across different (types of) clubs. Implications for both theory and policy are discussed.

Authors

• Arjan A.J. Blokland, NSCR

• Wouter van der Leest, National Police of the Netherlands

• Melvin Soudijn, National Police of the Netherlands