The Interest for Omcg Related Crime from a Sociological Perspective

Members of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCGs) are frequently associated with crime and OMCGs as seen by the media or police are often understood as criminal gangs which are heavily involved in organized crime. The term “one percenter” allegedly implies that the last one percent of motorcyclists were outlaws even though the origin of this comment is still unresolved. Some of the bikers embrace the term and decide to call themselves one percenters to express their outlaw status.

The answer to the question whether OMCGs are per se criminal or involved in organized crime is not a simple yes or no. The perception of OMCGs is most widely created by the media or law enforcement. The Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) started a research project in January 2017, funded by the Internal Security Fund of the European Union, investigating rocker clubs and the broad topic of “rocker crime”. This presentation will focus on the criminalization of OMCGs and look beyond common stigmatization. Instead, it will consider the subculture, lifestyle and group dynamics of OMCGs to give insight why they’re such a “popular” target for police and law enforcement.