15 januari 2024: Inside the Dutch Hells Angels: An empirical study into the club’s entry mechanisms
Introduction and context
Good morning dear people, today is Monday January 15, 2024. The month of January has already been halved, on to 2025. I'll start again with an appropriate song for today's 'knowledge pearl':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5xMjO16X04 Punk from Arnhem, late 1970s. Today a 'knowledge pearl' about recruitment mechanisms within the Dutch branch of the Hells Angels. So-called Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) have received a lot of attention in the Netherlands in recent years, both in terms of policy and research. I refer interested readers to these previously sent 'knowledge pearls' about the phenomenon: 51;186;411; and 474. All can be downloaded for free from:
https://prohic.nl/de-parels-van-jaap-de-waard/OMGs (also called 1%MCs) are usually divided into 'chapters' : regional departments. In addition, many of these clubs have 'support clubs' or 'front patch' clubs. Members of the official MCs (motorcycle clubs with a three-piece back patch) are called full color members. At these clubs, one first becomes a hangaround and after a trial period of about 5 to 8 months a prospect (aspiring member). Only after having been a prospect for at least a year can one become a full member (full member).
The authors of the enclosed 'knowledge pearl' have interviewed 24 active members of the Hells Angels. This is quite unique data because to date only a small amount of research has been conducted in which active members of OMGs provide a glimpse into the world in which they participate from their perspective. The central question is how the access mechanisms work to ultimately be admitted to the club as a full member (ultimately 'wearing the colours'). The results show that active recruitment by the Hells Angels MC consists of gradually growing into membership of the club, using a number of common access mechanisms.
Pre-existing social ties, both at club and individual level, play an important role in commitment to membership. In addition, the Dutch Hells Angels apply a number of different mechanisms to determine the reliability, loyalty and suitability of a person before he becomes a full member of the club. A nice 'knowledge pearl' in which 'learning from (potential) offenders in their own world' is central:
https://prohic.nl/2020/04/24/24-apr...ctive-offender-research-for-criminology/Source
Inside the Dutch Hells Angels: An empirical study into the club's entry mechanisms. Trends in Organized Crime, 9 January, pp. 104-105.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12117-023-09522-0Summary
Outlaw biker clubs have drawn considerable attention of law enforcement agencies across European countries. Despite law enforcement efforts, the popularity of the outlaw biker subculture has been on the rise recently. There is, however, still little understanding of how individuals become engaged in the outlaw biker subculture. Using unique data from interviews with current members of the Dutch Hells Angels (N?=?24), this article addresses the entry mechanisms into the club and how individuals become full-patched members. The results show that active recruitment by the Hells Angels MC and gradually growing into the club’s membership are common entering mechanisms. Pre-existing social ties, both on the club and the individual level, play a significant role for involvement in Dutch Hells Angels membership. Moreover, the Dutch Hells Angels apply various mechanisms to establish the trustworthiness, loyalty, and suitability of a person before becoming a full-patched member of the club.
The sample consisted of 24 males, with ages ranging from 38 to 69 years old. Respondents in the study were predominantly Dutch (N = 23; 95,8%) and most of them were employed at the time of the interviews (N = 20; 83,3%). The respondents were members of ten different Hells Angels charters (e.g., local divisions) located in various cities and provinces of the Netherlands. The sample consisted of individuals who have been members of the Hells Angels for quite some time, with an average duration of Hells Angels membership of 17 years. The sample was diverse in terms of Hells Angels membership. 46% of the respondents (N = 11) were full-patched
members, while twelve respondents were office-bearers with roles, such as president (N = 4; 16,7%), secretary (N = 4; 16,7%), road captain (N = 3; 12,5%), and sergeant at arms (N = 1; 4,2%).
The disproportionate involvement of outlaw biker’s in crime was among one of the reasons to prioritize Dutch outlaw biker clubs as a target for law enforcement agencies. Irrespective of increased law enforcement attention, the current study showed that future members are typically not screened by the Hells Angels on their criminal involvement. Criminal involvement of individual members is not seen as a club matter unless the criminal activities harm the reputation of the Hells Angels, and several respondents put forth not being interested in the criminal involvement of (future) members. As a result of the screening process of future members, the twostep verification process is not a panacea to completely filter out individuals who want to use the club structure for criminal purposes.
In closing
The term 1% motorcycle clubs refers to the alleged statement by the president of the American Motorcycle Association in 1947 that 99% of motorcyclists are upright citizens and only 1% are outlaw bikers. The term 1%'er has since been consciously used by some motorcyclists and can be found as a symbol on the leather jacket, as a tattoo or ring to indicate that the club members do not want to conform to civil society. In international literature, they are also referred to as 'outlaw motorcycle gangs' or OMGs. Since 2012, the Dutch Ministry of Justice & Security has also referred to 1%'ers or 1% clubs as outlaw bikers and outlaw biker clubs.
Despite their connection to motorcycles and the “one percent” subculture, law enforcement considers such individuals and motorcycle clubs unique among criminal groups because they maintain websites and businesses, identify themselves with patches and tattoos, create their own rules, abide by existing statutes, trademark their club names and logos as protected brands, and conduct publicity campaigns to enhance their public image. OMGs thus represent a special subculture within (organized) crime.
A study is currently underway from the 'knowledge agenda undermining':
https://www.wodc.nl/onderzoek-in-uitvoering/kennisagenda-ondermijning into the effects of the civil ban on OMGs introduced in 2022. This ongoing study is being carried out by the Netherlands Study Centre for Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and Leiden University (UL). In recent years, several OMGs have been banned under civil law. The aim of the ongoing study is to provide insight into the effects of the civil ban on OMGs.
The research must map out the intended and unintended (side) effects of the civil ban on OMGs on, among other things, the visibility of the banned OMGs and their (former) members in public spaces or elsewhere, the extent to which they have become members of 'continuation forms' of banned OMGs, non-banned OMGs, newly established OMGs or 'brotherhoods' and the possible continuation of criminal activities. The research must lead to recommendations regarding the approach to OMGs from a broad integral (policy) perspective (criminal, civil, administrative and fiscal). The research can also provide lessons for the approach to perpetrators of other forms of crime in an organised context. Of course, I will send out a 'knowledge pearl' of this research when it becomes available. And this is and will remain a given: Angels Forever, Forever Angels ( AFFA ) .
