Combating Economic Crime and Secrecy

: Policing Challenges and Countermeasures

Abstract

This commentary, based on seven publications, is a qualitative study into how policing authorities respond to economic crime and secrecy. Each publication emphasises secrecy as a key enabler of economic crime and examines the hidden methods that criminals use, including concealing beneficial ownership through offshore jurisdictions. The publications advance prior scholarship by illuminating the myriad of legal, moral, and practical dilemmas that policing authorities face in combating economic crime and secrecy. In doing so, they critically examine the legal and practical countermeasures that policing authorities employ, and further debate into the ways in which economic crime should be addressed. The publications address the issue of secrecy through distinctive philosophical and methodological approaches that transcend constructivist and critical theory paradigms. They demonstrate a breadth of research methods that have ensured comprehensive insights into economic crime phenomena to evidence the candidate’s significant and original contribution of knowledge. The candidate’s research and subsequent progression through academia is supported by twenty years of practitioner experience in policing. This experience has allowed the candidate to add practical insights into the field of economic crime towards advancing scholarly discourse, while contributing to a more contextualised multidisciplinary outlook to economic crime research. The publications demonstrate that the policing response to economic crime must adapt to the emerging nature of economic crime types and methods. Such change is achieved through transforming outdated political agendas, updating knowledge surrounding economic crime phenomena, strengthening legal measures, and embracing fresh technological solutions.

Date of Award	18 Jul 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Portsmouth
Supervisor	Branislav Hock (Supervisor) & Mark Button (Supervisor)