Edward Kleemans is Full Professor at the Department of Criminology, Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Full Professor in Serious and Organized Crime and Criminal Justice) and conducts research into organized crime and cybercrime activities and the interaction between offenders and the criminal justice system (including policing issues). Until 2013, he was Head of the Crime, Law Enforcement and Sanctions Research Division (CRS) of the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC), Ministry of Security and Justice, the Hague, the Netherlands. Edward Kleemans graduated in public administration and public policy (with the highest possible distinction) and earned a Ph.D. (with the highest possible distinction) from Twente University, the Netherlands. He serves on the boards of several international scientific journals, a committee of the National Academy of Sciences (US; 2013-2015), the Board of the European Society of Criminology (ESC: 2014-2016) and the Center for Information and Research on Organized Crime (CIROC).  He was Vice-Dean and Director of Research of the Faculty of Law in the period 2017-2023.

Expertise

• Serious and Organized Crime
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology 

Postal address

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Faculty of Law
De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam

Edward Kleemans conducts research into organized crime and cybercrime activities and the interaction between offenders and the criminal justice system (including policing issues). From 1996 to 2013 he coordinated the Dutch Organized Crime Monitor (OCM), a systematic, continuing research programme of WODC, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam regarding the nature of organized crime in the Netherlands, based upon intensive analysis police investigations. Four major reports were sent to the Dutch Parliament (1998, 2002, 2007, 2012) and in 2018-2019 several reports were published based on the fifth data sweep (including a report on organized crime and IT). His main research interests relate to organized crime and cybercrime, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, human trafficking, fraud and money laundering: social organization, embeddedness, and the interaction between offenders and the criminal justice system (including policing issues). Edward Kleemans was Vice-Dean / Director of Research of the Faculty of Law in the period 2017-2023.

Selected publications

• Four major reports to the Dutch Parliament (1998, 2002, 2007 and 2012) on the nature of organized crime in the Netherlands, based upon the Dutch Organized Crime Monitor (continuing project, 1996-now). In 2018-2019 several reports were published based on the fifth data sweep (including a report on organized crime and IT).
• Kleemans, E.R., & Van Koppen, M.V. (2020). Organized Crime and Criminal Careers. Crime and Justice. A Review of Research 49: 385-423.
• Leukfeldt, E.R., Kleemans, E.R., & Stol, W.Ph. (2017). Cybercriminal networks, social ties and online forums: Social ties versus digital ties within phishing and malware networks. British Journal of Criminology 57(3): 704-722.
• Van Ooyen, M., & Kleemans, E.R. (2015). Drug Policy: The "Dutch Model". Crime and Justice. A Review of Research 44(1): 165-220.
• Kleemans, E.R. (2014). Theoretical perspectives on organized crime. In: Paoli, L. (ed.). Oxford Handbook of Organized Crime. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kleemans, E.R., and Smit, M. (2014). Human smuggling, human trafficking, and exploitation in the sex industry. In: Paoli, L. (ed.). Oxford Handbook of Organized Crime. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Huisman, W., & Kleemans, E.R. (2014). The challenges of fighting sex trafficking in the legalized prostitution market of the Netherlands. Crime, Law and Social Change 61(2): 215-228.
• Kleemans, E.R., C.J. De Poot (2008). Criminal Careers in Organized Crime and Social Opportunity Structure. European Journal of Criminology 5 (1): 69-98.
• Kleemans, E.R., & Van de Bunt, H.G. (2008). Organised Crime, Occupations and Opportunity. Global Crime 9 (3): 185-197.
• Kleemans, E.R. (2007). Organized crime, transit crime, and racketeering . In: M. Tonry & C.J.C. Bijleveld (eds). Crime and Justice in the Netherlands. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research 35 (pp. 163-215). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Kleemans, E.R., H.G. van de Bunt (1999). The social embeddedness of organized crime, Transnational Organized Crime 5 (1): 19-36 

• Transnational Organized Crime
• Police and Security
• Criminology (Course ‘Aard, omvang en schade van criminaliteit’)
• Academic Skills (Research Track - Master Criminology)
• PhD and Master thesis supervision
• Educational activities for practitioners 

• Stichting Studiecentrum Rechtspleging | Zutphen | gastdocent (incidenteel, via VU) | 2013-12-02 - present

Ancillary activities are updated daily