Drug labs in remote warehouses, or money laundering through vacant storefronts. Undermining has a disruptive effect on society, says the director of the Thorbecke Academy, Richard Delger. That is why the university will conduct research into subversion in the Northern Netherlands with a new professorship.
The university, with locations in Leeuwarden and Assen, is setting up the new professorship of Governance, Security and Subversion. This is at the initiative of the mayor of Leeuwarden, Sybrand van Haersma Buma.
“Subversion is mainly about the mixing of the criminal world with the legal upper world in which we live, normal citizens,” says Delger. “So where criminals abuse legal activities for criminal activities, such as money laundering.”
The consequences of this are visible in Drenthe and also in Friesland and Groningen, Delger explains. “At a municipal level you see underprivileged neighborhoods, where criminals make their mark. But also in shopping centers. Then vacant buildings are purchased, where all kinds of activities are carried out, such as housing illegal workers. It really has a disruptive effect.”
The view is that these problems are sometimes so large-scale and complex that more cooperation and coordination is needed. To gain better insight into exactly how undermining works, research will be conducted by the professorship from February onwards, led by researcher Edward van der Torre.
“We are not crimefighters, we leave that to the police,” says Delger. “What we are particularly interested in is research and helping municipalities: how can you map the breeding ground for money laundering and criminals in your municipality? Which neighborhoods and which population groups are involved and how can we help municipalities and healthcare institutions prevent the mixing of crime with citizens?”
Both teachers and students participate in the research. “The professorship is designed for applied research. Not just academic research with thick files that disappear into drawers. We really want to offer practical tools to municipalities, but also to our students. Because they ultimately become government employees.”
The professorship is located in Leeuwarden, but Drenthe can also benefit from this. “We share all our knowledge and experiences with professional fields throughout the Northern Netherlands.”