Essex organised crime expert invited to speak at INTERPOL General Assembly

Criminologist, Professor Anna Sergi, from the University of Essex, will join law enforcement leaders at INTERPOL’s General Assembly in October to strengthen collaborative efforts to connect policing for a safer world.

The event in New Delhi will involve 195 countries and offer a vital opportunity to share learning and experiences to effectively adapt to the changing landscape of global crime.

Professor Sergi, from Essex’s Department of Sociology, said: “I am thrilled to be invited to New Delhi for this general assembly. This invitation shows the impact of my research work which has always focused on supporting law enforcement to think of organised crime critically and in terms of protection of honest ordinary people all over the world.”

INTERPOL’s invitation to Professor Sergi stated: “Considering your vast expertise as a distinguished academic in criminology and organized crime studies, as well as your extensive experience working closely with national and international law enforcement agencies, I am convinced that the global law enforcement community would be very keen to listen to your insights on how could the academic and research communities assist the operational mission of law enforcement in a concrete fashion on the front line, and that in addition to their contribution through deep and comprehensive analysis.”

Professor Sergi specialises in organised crime studies and comparative criminal justice. She has a strong track record on collaborative working, using in-depth academic research to plug gaps in information and intelligence sharing across countries.

Her report on organised crime and freeports around the world, funded by the British Academy, found drugs to be a major problem at all the ports. Her research demonstrated the need for careful strategic planning post-Brexit, to counter the increase in complex different jurisdictions.

She led a small team of Essex researchers to produce the first systematic analysis of the expansion of Italian mafias across Europe providing insights into how criminal groups embed themselves in countries and operate across borders and was received as a significant contribution to the challenges of cross border policing of mafia-type organised crime.

Her latest book Chasing the Mafia. ‘Ndrangheta Memories and Journeys, published with Bristol University Press in 2022 is the culmination of years of fieldwork around the world and supported by the engagement of various hard-to-reach specialist law enforcement units.

Head of Department, Professor Pam Cox said: “This invitation from INTERPOL is clearly quite an honour for a member of our department. Anna will be joining representatives from 195 countries working to reduce crime and the impact of crime across the globe.”