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Published: 16 April 2014

Number of offences increased in January to March 2014

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 93,900 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard from January to March 2014, which is 3,500 cases (3.9 per cent) more than in the corresponding period of one year earlier. The number of property offences recorded was 54,000, which was 6,000 cases (12.4 per cent) more than in 2013. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 8,100, which is 670 cases (7.7 per cent) lower than in the respective period of the previous year. In addition, 95,000 cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions were registered.

Offences and endangerment of traffic safety in 2009 to 2014

Exceeding speed limits towards the end of 2012 were recorded erroneously in the early part of 2013

The number of frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud) has grown considerably over the 2000s. In January to March 2014, 6,600 frauds were recorded, which is 14 per cent more than in the year before. In the 2000s, the average number of frauds has been 4,000 in January to March. In January to March 2014, a total of 290 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is ten per cent fewer than one year earlier.

During January to March 2014, means of payment frauds numbered 1,800, which is 170 cases (11 per cent) more than in the previous year. The number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 33, that is, the same figure as one year before. In the 2000s, the average number of means of payment frauds has been 980 from January to March.

The number of robberies reported was 370 which was 18 per cent more than in January to March 2013, but as much as the average for the previous ten years.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 1,400, which was 22 per cent more than in the January to March period of 2013. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen by one quarter.

In 2014, 10,400 damages to property were recorded, which is 18 per cent more than the year before. Over the 2000s, more damages to property than this have been recorded in January to March 2007 to 2009.

The number of assault offences recorded was 7,700 during January to March 2014, which was eight per cent fewer than in the corresponding period of the year before. Over the period 2002 to 2013, an average of 7,500 assault offences were recorded in January to March. Compared with January to March 2013, aggravated assaults went down by nearly seven per cent. A total of 400 of them were recorded. 

In January to March 2014, the number of rapes recorded was 250, against 210 one year earlier. Over the past ten years, the average number of rapes has been 175 in January to March. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 360, which is two per cent fewer than in the year before. Detected sexual exploitations of a child have increased considerably in recent years. The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual exploitations of a child vary much yearly. Individual reports of an offence may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

The number of drunken driving was 3,800 in January to March 2014, which figure is unchanged from the corresponding period of the year before. One-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 11 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 12 per cent. Over the last ten years, 4,800 cases of drunken driving were recorded between January and March, on average.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 4,900, which is down by 15 per cent from the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 23 per cent. A total of 230 of them were recorded.

The presentation of the statistics was revised as of the beginning of 2009. Endangerment of traffic safety and traffic offences are separated from other offences and they are presented in a separate table. The total number of offences is comparable with earlier figures, because the same division has also been made retrospectively until 1980. The aim of the revision is to improve the comparability of offences between different years and enhance their international comparability. The quality description of the statistics contains annually more detailed information about revisions but it is regrettably published only in Finnish.

From the beginning of 2009, offences recorded by the customs and border guard are also included. The change does not have much effect on the comparability of offences. Of the most common types of offences the change primarily affects the comparability of narcotics offences.

Number of certain types of offences in January, February and March and in January to March 2014 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change
All offences 1)	31,125	445	28,942	-741	33,839	3,841	93,906	3,545
Burglary	2,305	230	2,389	358	2,631	594	7,325	1,182
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	444	33	399	53	513	157	1,356	243
Robbery	132	27	99	9	142	22	373	58
Damage to property	3,834	944	2,468	-590	4,050	1,216	10,352	1,570
Manslaughter, murder and killing	9	-1	8		10	4	27	3
Assault	2,645	-190	2,441	-264	2,565	-218	7,651	-672
Rape	94	37	60	-20	92	21	246	38
Drunken driving	1,173	-29	1,156	-73	1,493	109	3,822	7
Narcotics offences	1,549	-459	1,638	-294	1,749	-136	4,936	-889

1) Excl. endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic, and motor vehicle infraction.

Number of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions in January, February and March and in January to March 2014 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change	2014	Change
Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	33,009	-21,743	30,143	-2,654	31,827	-1,820	94,979	-26,217
-exceeding speed limits 1)	23,289	-19,796	20,639	-1,217	19,988	-1,038	63,916	-22,051

1) Cases of exceeding speed limits registered as endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions.

Source: Offences known to the police 2014, 1. quarter

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 09 1734 3252, rikos@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in January to March 2010 to 2014 (preliminary data) (16.4.2014)
• Appendix table 2. Number of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions in January to March 2010 to 2014 (preliminary data) (16.4.2014)

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Updated 16.04.2014