Organised Crime & Crime Prevention - what works? - Scandinavian ...

NSfK’s 40. forskerseminar, Espoo, Finland 1998
much in Lithuania (by 4,4 per cent) and in the other two Baltic states it has significantly
decreased (in Estonia by one-fourth and in Latvia by half).
The most widespreaded types of theft in all of the Baltic countries are thefts from dwellings
and thefts of vehicles.
Table 5. Thefts from Dwellings in Baltic States during 1992-1996
Registered thefts from dwellings
Year Lithuania Latvia Estonia
total as a percent total as a percent total as a percent
number of all thefts number of all thefts number of all thefts
1992 6 610 15,5 9 845 20,4 7 980 23,9
1993 6 964 16,0 9 075 23,0 7 137 26,1
1994 7 414 18,4 6 257 23,0 6 878 27,8
1995 6 344 15,2 5 083 20,6 8 175 29,0
1996 8 631 19,3 5 068 21,6 6 864 27,7
Thefts from dwellings now make up about 1/5 of the general number of registered crimes in
Lithuania and Latvia and more than 1/4 in Estonia.
The number of registered thefts in the Baltic countries has changed differently. During 1992-
1996 the total number of registered thefts has increased by 2021 crime or 30,6 per cent in
Lithuania. In Latvia this number during the aforesaid period decreased by 4777 crimes or 48,5
per cent. And in Estonia it decreased by 1116 crimes or 14 per cent.
Evaluating the indicators presented, it is possible to state that the state and dynamics of thefts
from dwellings is the most unfavourable in Lithuania; in Estonia thefts from dwellings
decreased by 1/7 and in Latvia almost by one-half during 1992-1996.
Table 6. Thefts of Vehicles in the Baltic States during 1992-1996
Year
Registered thefts of vehicles
Lithuania Latvia Estonia
total as a percent of total as a percent of total as a percent of
number all thefts number all thefts number all thefts
1992 2 000 4,7 - - 1 735 5,2
1993 2 879 6,6 4 265 10,8 1 262 4,6
1994 6 344 15,8 4 266 15,7 1 094 4,4
1995 6 738 16,2 2 774 11,3 801 2,8
1996 6 267 14,0 2 215 9,5 666 2,7
The situation and dynamics of thefts of vehicles during 1992-1996 are especially
unfavourable in Lithuania. Auto theft as a proportion of the general number of registered
thefts increased by 3 times. In Estonia, on the contrary, the proportion made up by thefts of
vehicles decreased by 2 times. In Latvia great fluctuations in the proportion of thefts of
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