Organised Crime Policies in the Czech Republic: A Hard Road from Under-Estimation to the European Standard

It is only since the mid-1990s that we can talk about a consistent organised crime policy in the Czech Republic. After the fall of the communist regime, organised crime was not perceived as a real danger by the responsible state authorities, and even after the first signs of organised criminal activity it was rather under-estimated. Initially it was a few professionals with a policing background who drew attention to the potential attractiveness of Czech territory for the penetration of organised crime and to the first manifestations of organised crime activities. The start of research into organised crime and the publication of the first studies contributed to raising awareness of this danger. Also the press played a role publishing articles on the phenomenon (often under sensational headlines and sometimes presenting unreliable information) and had a significant impact on public opinion. Also there was significant international influence – the policy of the international community against organised crime gradually became better known, and it was eventually necessary for the Czech Republic to fulfil the obligations resulting from the international documents they signed. As a result, in the late 1990s and early 2000s several ad hoc measures were adopted and both the legal and institutional frameworks were significantly changed to fight organised crime.