Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2015 > 3rd quarter > Altogether, 2.3 per cent fewer offences and 4.7 per cent more cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic offences than in January to September 2014

Published: 19 October 2015

Altogether, 2.3 per cent fewer offences and 4.7 per cent more cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic offences than in January to September 2014

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 311,900 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to September 2015, which is 7,400 cases (2.3 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of one year earlier. The number of property offences recorded was 177,800, which was 4.0 per cent down from January to September 2014. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 26,500, which is 180 cases lower than in 2014. In addition, 309,000 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

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During January to September this year, 302,300 offences were recorded by the police, which is 1.3 per cent down from 2014. In all, 5,900 offences were recorded by customs, which is 9.5 per cent lower than in 2014. The border guard recorded 3,700 offences, which is 11.4 per cent lower than in 2014.

Offences against property

During January to September 2015, a total of 19,400 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which was 11 per cent up from the year before. The number of frauds has grown considerably in the 2000s. In 2000, their recorded number was 9,000 during January to September. In January to September 2015, a total of 1,100 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 3.5 per cent down from one year earlier.

During January to September 2015, means of payment frauds numbered 7,100, which is 1,300 cases (21.7 per cent) more than in the previous year. The recorded number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 146, while last year this figure was 94.

Altogether, 1,200 thefts were reported, which was 7.0 per cent down from January to September 2014. Altogether, 193 aggravated thefts were reported.

A total of 105,000 theft offences (thefts, petty thefts and aggravated thefts) were reported, which was 5,100 cases fewer (4.6 per cent) than in 2014. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 2,700, which is down by 1.7 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 4,500, which was 270 cases (5.6 per cent) lower than in January to September 2014. Altogether, 35,450 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which was 1,640 cases fewer than in 2014.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 6,000, which is 1.4 per cent lower than in 2014. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

During January to September 2015, damages to property numbered 28,600, which is 4,500 cases (13.5 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 193 aggravated damages to property were reported.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 24,800 during the January to September period of 2015, which is nearly 100 cases (0.3 per cent) fewer than in January to September 2014. Over the past ten years, 25,700 assault offences, on average, have been reported in January to September. Compared with 2014, aggravated assaults went down by 0.7 per cent. Now, 1,200 of them were recorded. 

The number of rapes recorded was 780, against 760 one year earlier. Over the past ten years, the average number of rapes has been 640 in the January to September period. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 1,100, which is 2.0 per cent more than in January to September 2014. During the first half of the year, 362 cases of sexual abuse were reported. 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 13,600 drunken driving cases were reported in January to September 2015, which is 2.1 per cent more than in 2014. Nearly one-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 4.8 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 8.4 per cent.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 17,800, which is up by 11.1 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 9.8 per cent. A total of 790 of them were recorded.

The statistics on Offences known to the police and on Coercive measures were combined in March 2015. Data released prior to that can be found on the old web pages of the statistics. The web pages of the statistics on Offences known to the police: http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/til/polrik/index_en.html and of the statistics on Coercive measures: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/pkei/index_en.html

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 July, August and September, and in January to September 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change
1) All offences 1)	38,330	-804	39,567	1,090	36,243	-2,411	311,911	-7,430
Burglary	3,275	103	3,261	167	3,143	98	25,753	115
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	923	51	841	6	733	-107	5,976	-87
Robbery	118	-30	134	-39	137	-31	1,178	-89
Damage to property	3,418	-795	3,544	92	3,405	-775	28,642	-4,470
Manslaughter, murder and killing	10	-1	7	-1	2	-3	67	-9
Assault	2,915	107	2,808	-207	2,815	193	24,828	-78
Rape	103	18	107	9	82	-28	780	20
Drunken driving	1,777	51	1,638	65	1,595	19	13,606	276
Narcotics offences	2,033	274	2,119	305	1,905	-185	17,798	1,784

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 July, August and September, and in January to September 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous

Offence	July		August		September		January-September
	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)	34,716	1,423	35,469	1,532	36,506	-1,966	309,028	13,937
-exceeding speed limits 2)	23,868	-697	23,751	-980	24,118	-2,273	218,137	12,536

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. Exceeding speed limits towards the end of 2012 were recorded erroneously in the early part of 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, 3. quarter

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Development of certain types of offences in January to September 2011 to 2015 (preliminary data (19.10.2015)
• Appendix table 2. Number of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions in January to September 2011 to 2015 (preliminary data) (19.10.2015)

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Updated 19.10.2015