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

NSfK’s 40. forskerseminar, Espoo, Finland 1998
vehicles do not allow an exact (strict) conclusion, however it is possible to assert that auto
theft as a proportion of all thefts remained relatively stable during the period in question.
The number of registered thefts of vehicles in Lithuania increased by more than 3 times
during 1992-1996. At the same time in Latvia this indicator decreased by almost 2 times and
in Estonia by 2,6 times.
It is possible to affirm that such an especially unfavourable state and dynamic of thefts of
vehicles in Lithuania is determined by its geographical position (as a transit state) which is
rather different from the other two Baltic states•, and that it is not a result of Lithuania•s
inability to set its affairs in order. It is possible to maintain also that for Lithuania this specific
position costs much.
One more traditional and widespread type of crime is robbery. We see the data about
robberies in table seven.
Table 7. Robberies in the Baltic States during 1992-1996
Year
Registered robberies
Lithuania Latvia Estonia
total as a percent of total as a percent of total as a percent of
number all crimes number all crimes number all crimes
1992 488 0,9 807 1,3 480 1,2
1993 737 1,2 1 177 2,2 612 1,6
1994 4 217 7,2 1 142 2,8 786 2,2
1995 2 837 4,7 905 2,3 694 1,7
1996 3 481 5,1 1 031 2,7 577 1,6
In the dynamics of robberies in the Baltic states during 1992-1996 we notice that the first two
years coincide with a period during which the of reorganization of law enforcement agencies
and state institutions as a whole was still under intensive creation, and when the latentiveness
(the "dark figures") of robberies could be greater. So the state in all Baltic states during the
years 1992-1993 is analogous. But during the three later years of the explored period we
observe a stable indicator of the proportion of robberies: in Lithuania the proportion of
robberies as compared to general criminality is approximately twice that in Latvia and three
times greater than in Estonia.
The number of robberies in Lithuania during the three later years is slightly decreasing, in
Latvia remains roughly stable, and in Estonia is also somewhat decreasing. Therefore it is
possible to ascertain that the state and dynamics of robberies in the Baltic states is similar.
Besides traditional property crimes, whose states and changes in the Baltic countries are
presented earlier, it is very important to compare traditional violent crimes against person in
the Baltic states: murders, severe bodily injuries, rapes.
Table 8. Premeditated Murders (with attempts) in the Baltic States during 1992-1996
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