Number of offences declined by 6.8 per cent and that of endangerment of traffic safety grew by 10.3 per cent in January to March 2015

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 88,800 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard from January to March 2015, which is 6,500 cases (6.8 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of one year earlier. The number of property offences recorded was 49,200, which was 10.0 per cent down from the first quarter of 2014. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 7,700, which is nearly 600 cases lower than in the early part of 2014. In addition, 105,000 cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions were registered.

Offences and endangerment of traffic safety in 2009 to 2015

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

Offences against property

During January to March 2013, a total of 6,200 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which was 2.4 per cent down from the year before. The number of frauds has grown considerably in the 2000s. In 2000, their recorded number was 3,000 during January to March. In January to March 2015, a total of 300 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 10.3 per cent less than one year earlier.

During January to March 2015, means of payment frauds numbered 1,770, which is 60 cases (3.4 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. The recorded number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 47, while last year this figure was 33.

Altogether, 400 robberies were reported, which was 11.0 per cent more than in January to March 2014 but fewer than in the early 2000s. Altogether, 90 aggravated robberies were reported.

During 2015, a total of 28,200 theft offences (thefts, petty thefts and aggravated thefts) were reported, which was 2,000 cases fewer (6.7 per cent) than in 2014. Aggravated thefts numbered 760, which figure is unchanged from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 1,200, which was 170 cases (12.5 per cent) lower than in January to March 2014.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 1,300, which is 1.3 per cent lower than in 2014. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

In January to March 2015, altogether 8,000 damages to property were recorded, which is 2,500 cases (24.1 per cent) fewer than the year before, when the number recorded was exceptionally high. Altogether, 260 aggravated damages to property were reported.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 7,300 during the first quarter of 2015, which is 500 cases (6.4 per cent) fewer than in January to March 2014. Over the past ten years, 7,600 assault offences, on average, have been reported in January to March. Compared with 2014, aggravated assaults went up by 2.1 per cent. Now, 380 of them were recorded.

The number of rapes recorded was 250, against 220 one year earlier. Over the past ten years, the average number of rapes has been 185 in the January to March period. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 340, which was 14.5 per cent fewer than in the corresponding period of the year before. The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual exploitations of a child reported to the authorities vary much yearly. Individual reports of an offence may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

Other offences

A total of 3,800 drunken driving cases were reported in January to March 2015, which is 2.8 per cent more than in 2014. Nearly one-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving increased by 1.1 per cent and other drunken driving by 4.3 per cent. Over the last ten years in the January to March period, 4,600 cases of drunken driving were recorded, on average.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 5,600, which is up by 10.6 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went up by 3.8 per cent. A little under 300 of them were recorded.

The presentation of the statistics was revised as of the beginning of 2009. Endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions 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 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 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
Offence	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change
1) All offences ¹⁾	29,409	-1,900	27,904	-1,527	31,489	-3,070	88,802	-6,497
Burglary	2,221	-84	2,256	-133	2,509	-174	6,986	-391
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	421	-21	390	-1	532	4	1,343	-18
Robbery	135	7	104	5	155	27	394	39
Damage to property	2,768	-1,068	2,604	104	2,581	-1,557	7,953	-2,521
Manslaughter, murder and killing	9	0	5	-3	8	0	22	-3
Assault	2,465	-165	2,319	-156	2,528	-176	7,312	-497
Rape	66	-25	63	4	122	51	251	30
Drunken driving	1,281	118	1,154	19	1,411	-31	3,846	106
Narcotics offences	1,951	387	1,743	64	1,907	84	5,601	535

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 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
Offence	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change
2) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction ¹⁾	40,223	7,200	31,771	1,622	33,003	1,007	104,997	9,829
-exceeding speed limits ²⁾	30,058	6,761	23,275	2,630	22,471	2,451	75,804	11,842

1) Problems connected to the re-organisation of automatic traffic control brought about a substantial fall in the number of traffic offences recorded in the early part of 2014 compared with 2013.
2) Cases of exceeding speed limits registered as endangerment of traffic safety, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2015, 1. quarter

Inquiries: Kimmo Haapakangas 029 551 3252, rikos@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 21.4.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Statistics on offences and coercive measures [e-publication].
ISSN=2342-9178. 1st quarter 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 21.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/rpk/2015/01/rpk_2015_01_2015-04-21_tie_001_en.html