Conferences

The AIC hosted two conferences in 2018–19.

Australasian Youth Justice Conference, Sydney, 30 April – 2 May 2019

Co-hosted by the AIC, Australasian Youth Justice Administrators and Juvenile Justice New South Wales, this conference explored the theme ‘Contemporary challenges, innovative solutions’. Over three days the conference brought together juvenile justice administrators, practitioners and policymakers from government and community organisations, academics, students and others with a keen interest in effective, innovative youth justice outcomes. Presentations explored education, emerging technologies, mental health, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, countering violent extremism, the over-representation of different groups, and safety, security and rehabilitation. For more information, see page 68–9.

Organised Crime Research Forum, Canberra, 30–31 May 2019

The Organised Crime Research Forum, held annually since 2016, is co-hosted by the AIC and the Australian National University. It aims to build Australia’s organised crime research capacity by bringing academics together to discuss their work in this area. Themes of presentations at the 2019 forum included drug trafficking, the darknet and gangs. A total of 120 people attended from around the country, including policymakers, researchers and law enforcement professionals. For more information, see page 23–4.

Occasional seminars

In 2018–19, the AIC hosted seven occasional seminars.

Where have all the young offenders gone?

Associate Professor Jason Payne, Sydney, 29 November 2018
At this seminar co-hosted by the AIC and the University of Sydney, the Australian National University’s Jason Payne presented the findings of his recent study. The research compared all those born in New South Wales in 1984 and 1994 and found that the proportion of the population who had come into contact with the criminal justice system halved over the 10-year period.

Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy

Rachel Teicher, Canberra, 18 February 2019
Rachel Teicher is the Director of the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC). The strategy is a multi-agency response to domestic violence being piloted with police agencies in the United States, drawing largely on the NNSC’s own research. This seminar was one of three events dedicated to the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy. For more information, see page 73–4.

Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy

Rachel Teicher, Sydney, 20 February 2019
This seminar, co-hosted by the AIC and the University of Sydney, was the last of three events focused on the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy of John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s National Network for Safe Communities. For more information, see page 73–4.

Police use of CCTV on the rail network

Anthony Morgan, Canberra, 14 March 2019
At this seminar AIC Research Manager Anthony Morgan examined how CCTV helps the police to solve crime. He analysed the crime types for which CCTV is most useful and how the availability of footage affects the likelihood of a case being solved. The presentation was based on extensive research conducted by the AIC on the police use of CCTV on the NSW rail network, an important contribution to an otherwise weak evidence base.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Preliminary findings of an exploration of trafficking, organised crime and security ploys in Genoa and Melbourne

Dr Anna Sergi, Canberra, 29 March 2019
Dr Anna Sergi from the University of Essex presented the preliminary findings of research conducted in the ports of Genoa, Italy and Melbourne, Australia. She discussed the illicit activities detected in the ports, how organised criminal groups seek to use ports, and the challenges for authorities in preventing crime and securing trade.

Where are the Italian mafias in Italy and abroad?

Associate Professor Francesco Calderoni, Sydney, 28 May 2019
Associate Professor Francesco Calderoni, from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, discussed the movement of Italian mafias from their territories of origin in southern Italy to other regions and around the world. He presented his analysis of the presence and activities of various mafias and discussed the implications of this research. The presentation also explored policies that could prevent or tackle the spread of mafias to new territories.

Where are the Italian mafias in Italy and abroad?

Associate Professor Francesco Calderoni, Canberra, 29 May 2019
This seminar was the second presented by Associate Professor Francesco Calderoni of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. As in the seminar in Sydney the day before, he discussed why mafia groups move to new regions of the world and how they establish themselves in new territories.

Roundtables

The AIC hosted two roundtables this reporting period.

Child Exploitation Material Reduction Research Program Roundtable

Brisbane, 1 November 2018
The AIC and the AFP’s Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation co-hosted an information roundtable on the Child Exploitation Material Reduction Research Program. Under this program, the AIC offered funding for research projects aimed at reducing child exploitation material. The roundtable gave potential applicants a chance to discuss ideas with law enforcement personnel, investigators, legal scholars, technology specialists and policymakers. For more information, see page 77–8.

Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy Roundtable

Rachel Teicher, Sydney, 12 February 2019
This roundtable, co-hosted by the AIC and the University of Sydney, was one of three events focused on the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Strategy of John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s National Network for Safe Communities. For more information, see page 73–4.

Other events

Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards ceremony
Australian Institute of Criminology, 29 November 2018
The AIC manages the annual Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards, with the Director of the AIC chairing the selection board. Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, then the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, announced the 2018 winners at a ceremony held in Parliament House, Canberra. For more information, see page 55–9.