How the Resilience Analysis of Criminal Networks May Help to Improve the Effectiveness of Public Policies to Contrast Organized Crime

This paper aims to show in which way the joint use of analysis techniques of the complex networks and the economic theory of human capital might lead to the implementation of new and more effective policies to contrast organized crime. For this purpose, it employs an interdisciplinary approach and utilises the techniques and concepts of Social Network Analysis to identify the essential properties differentiating criminal networks from other social networks and develop a reliable indicator of their robustness and resilience to law enforcement activities. This theoretical premise will serve, therefore, to set up the empirical analysis of the structure of existing interpersonal relationships inside two criminal networks engaged respectively in international drug trafficking and in the local providing of social welfare services to the person. The study of the above mentioned networks is based on the analysis of judicial acts issued in the context of two recent police operations successfully completed. The results highlight the remarkable ability of networking and the resilience to law enforcement activities of the examined criminal organizations, suggesting the adoption of new and diversified repressive policies based on the analysis of human capital which these organizations can use for their own purposes.