Speaker Bio & Abstract
Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)
The Netherlands
BiographyAndrew Lemieux studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the University of Arizona (BS 2005, MS 2006). He subsequently earned a Master’s degree (2008) and PhD (2010) in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University. His doctoral research examined the risk of violent victimization Americans face in different activities and places. Since 2010, he has worked at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement where he coordinates the Wildlife Crime Research Cluster. His research examines how data can improve wildlife protection efforts through data-driven operations and problem solving, drawing upon lessons learned from urban crime control. AbstractEnvironmental crime is a broad umbrella term used to describe hundreds if not thousands of harmful behaviors. The illegal extraction, transportation, and consumption of natural resources is a major concern, as is pollution caused by industrial contaminates and waste. Much like public safety, a wide array of regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international conventions govern or support environmental safety. While not every environmental crime will be trans-boundary in nature, many of the most profitable ones are. This presentation will discuss why trans-boundary criminals often have the upper hand, even if their budgets, human resources, and technology are inferior to environmental protection coalitions. It suggests ways to align the rapid development of technology and datasets related to environmental crime prevention with the realities of enforcement mandates.