This year, on November 13 and 14, the meeting brought together 52 participants in person, including representatives from various EU Member States, cooperation partners from third countries in Europe, Europol representatives, as well as foreign police liaison officers in Latvia, and officials from the State Police. Over two days, participants discussed the latest trends in homicides and cross-border crime, gained insight into specific investigation cases, and took part in round table discussions, sharing experiences, analyzing common and distinct problems, and seeking effective solutions for combating crime.
This year, the meeting focused significant attention on issues related to the impact of new technologies on the commission and investigation of crimes, the recruitment of youth for criminal activities, as well as the 'Crime as a service' and 'Violence as a service' phenomena.
It should be noted that violence and homicides, including contract killings, are typical manifestations of organized crime with a pronounced cross-border character. Homicides and violence are used to achieve specific criminal goals, and to exert psychological pressure on members of the criminal groups themselves, on witnesses, and on society as a whole. In addition to violence, organized crime is often linked to corruption, the misuse of financial systems, and money laundering. It is also important to consider that combating contract killings is complex because the police must not only work to capture the perpetrators of the criminal acts but must also target the leaders and main organizers of the criminal networks who are not the direct perpetrators of the crime.
The meeting organizers emphasize that the establishment of professional contacts and international cooperation will continue in the future, creating opportunities to more effectively address complex cross-border crimes and achieve significant investigative results.
Project VP/IDF/2024/2 is being implemented within the framework of the EU Internal Security Fund 2021–2027 planning period. The project implementation period is from July 16, 2024, to June 30, 2026.
