Revealing patterns of crime committed by affiliates of outlaw motorcycle gangs: A latent class analysis by rank and crime type

Over the past two decades, increasing scholarly attention has been paid to better understanding the range of criminal activities committed by affiliates of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) clubs. Nonetheless, questions remain about the extent to which OMCG clubs and affiliates are involved in organized crime. It remains unclear how criminal activity is structured, distributed, and sustained within OMCG clubs, and how involvement varies across affiliates. In particular, little is known about how offending differs across organizational roles and membership ranks, and whether distinct patterns of criminal activity exist within the OMCG hierarchy. This study addresses this gap by examining the heterogeneity in offending patterns among OMCG affiliates across rank and crime types. We deployed Latent Class Analysis to identify patterns of criminal activity across the different organizational ranks within OMCG clubs. Our results indicate that: (1) Across all ranks, OMCG affiliates exhibit offending versatility rather than specialization; (2) Associates exhibit greater criminal heterogeneity; (3) Nominees tend toward violence and profit-driven offending; (4) Fully patched members engage broadly across multiple crime types; and (5) Office-bearers were found to exhibit a generalist offending profile. We discuss the implications of these findings for scholarship along with policy and policing practice.