Responding to organised environmental crimes: Collaborative approaches and capacity building

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the ways in which collaboration and a coordinated approach to dealing with criminal groups involved in environmental crime can be established and bolstered. The article begins by examining the challenges associated with organised criminal networks and transnational crimes for environmental law enforcement agencies. Such analyses continually highlight several factors: the importance of collaboration in combatting organised criminal networks; the need for flexibility in dealing with fluid on-the-ground situations; the importance of up-skilling in order to move laterally across different institutional and national contexts; and – the lynchpin across all of these areas – capacity building for sustainable practice. Various forms of collaboration are outlined, as well as the importance of trust and relationships in maintaining cooperative arrangements. A case study is used to illustrate contemporary developments relevant to enhanced collaboration with regard to environmental law enforcement.