Number of frauds and means of payment frauds increased in 2015

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 413,100 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in 2015, which is 4,400 cases (1.1 per cent) lower than one year earlier. The number of property offences recorded was 236,000, which is 2.1 per cent fewer than in 2014. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 36,100, which is 3.1 per cent more than in 2014. In addition, 405,600 cases of endangerment of traffic safety and traffic infractions were registered.

Frauds and means of payment frauds in 2006 to 2015

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During 2015, a total of 400,300 offences were recorded by the police, which is 0.8 per cent down from 2014. In all, 8,000 offences were recorded by customs, which is 8.2 per cent lower than in 2014. The border guard recorded 4,700 offences, which is 5.6 per cent lower than in 2014.

Offences against property

During 2015, a total of 25,900 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 10.3 per cent more than in the year before. The number of frauds has grown considerably in the 2000s. In 2000, altogether 12,200 of them were reported. In 2015, a total of 1,400 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 4.9 per cent lower than one year earlier.

During 2015, means of payment frauds numbered 10,900, which is 3,200 cases (40.8 per cent) more than in the previous year. The recorded number of aggravated means of payment frauds was 196, while one year earlier this figure was 122.

The number of thefts reported was 1,600, which was 8.4 per cent fewer than in 2014. The recorded number of aggravated thefts was 269, while one year earlier this figure was 210.

A total of 138,300 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported, which is 4,800 cases fewer (3.3 per cent) than in 2014. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 3,500, which is down by 4.0 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 6,000, which is 390 cases (6.1 per cent) lower than in 2014. Altogether, 47,700 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 1,700 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 7,500, which is 4.1 per cent lower than in 2014. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

During 2015, damages to property numbered 37,600, which is 4,900 cases (11.6 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 255 aggravated damages to property were reported.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 33,800 during 2015, which is 1,000 cases (3.2 per cent) fewer than in 2014. Over the past ten years, 34,200 assault offences, on average, have been reported yearly. Compared with 2014, aggravated assaults went down by 4.0 per cent. Now, 1,600 of them were recorded.

The number of rapes recorded was 1,060, against 1,000 one year earlier. Over the past ten years, the average number of rapes has been 840. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 1,240, which was 13.4 per cent fewer than in 2014. During the first half of the year, 494 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

The number of drunken driving was 17,700 in 2015, which is 0.2 per cent more than in 2014. Nearly one-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 5.7 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 5.5 per cent.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 23,300, which is up by 7.6 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 6.7 per cent. A total of 1,060 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 home 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 October, November and December, and in January to December 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
Offence	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change	2015	Change
1) All offences ¹⁾	413,075	-4,404	36,047	-1,516	33,121	933	29,874	1,487
Burglary	34,121	167	3,038	-258	2,763	120	2,476	99
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	7,462	-320	627	-75	472	-81	422	-42
Robbery	1,558	-142	125	-41	132	-8	131	4
Damage to property	37,585	-4,927	3,293	-537	2,818	77	2,658	-171
Manslaughter, murder and killing	97	-5	6	-10	18	12	9	5
Assault	33,803	1,040	2,811	135	2,897	320	2,854	250
Rape	1,063	54	99	18	100	8	97	21
Drunken driving	17,698	36	1,417	-83	1,443	-120	1,337	68
Narcotics offences	23,345	1,656	1,823	-537	1,821	-23	1,652	181

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 October, November and December, and in January to December 2015 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January-December		October		November		December
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⁾	405,652	-4,658	34,603	-2,437	31,045	-7,341	30,643	-9,150
-exceeding speed limits ²⁾	282,617	-11,113	23,124	-3,697	19,919	-9,823	21,390	-10,176

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, 4. quarter

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 19.1.2016

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Statistics on offences and coercive measures [e-publication].
ISSN=2342-9178. 4th quarter 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 31.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/rpk/2015/04/rpk_2015_04_2016-01-19_tie_001_en.html