Pia Marsh
June 26th, 2015

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Biker and gang related conflict remains a serious issue, despite police interference (photo: Roy Lister)

An increasing number of biker gang members are seeking police help to leave behind their fellow gang members and criminal past.

A new report from the National Police reveals that the number of people joining the police-initiated exit programs has more than doubled in the space of a year.

“There is a much greater interest in our exit programs than we had originally expected,” National Police commissioner, Jens Henrik Højbjerg, said in a statement.

“It is incredibly gratifying that we are successful in our strategy to combat crime in these groups with a combination of research, visible policing, prevention and exit programs,” he continued.

The program, which was strengthened in 2014 with the introduction of the legislative initiative “Fixed grip on gangs”, is managed by the National Police in conjunction with the National Association and the Prison and Probation Service.

Numbers have doubled
In early 2013, 15 people had taken part in or completed an exit strategy under the framework model “A way out”.

By February 2014, the number had increased to 35 people, and a year later, the figure has grown even further to 74.

Gang violence continues
The report also showed that despite police efforts, biker and gang related violence had not decreased since the previous year.

Nevertheless, police assert their dedication to continue their efforts in combating gang related crime.

“In periods where there is a lower level of conflict, we have the opportunity to better investigate the crimes. We are focusing on drug trafficking, which we know from experience takes place in these environments,” said Hojbjerg.

In 2014, 1,520 biker and gang members were sentenced to a total of 400 years in prison.