Home > Statistics > Statistics on offences and coercive measures > 2015 > Reported offences, 1st quarter > 1. Review on offences recorded by the police, customs and border guard

1. Review on offences recorded by the police, customs and border guard

1.1. Summary

In 2015, a total of 413,200 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in the whole country, which is 4,700 (1.1 per cent) fewer than one year before. The number of offences reported has fallen from 2011, when 458,300 offences were reported. Over the year, 236,500 offences were solved, while the corresponding figure was 236,700 one year previously.

The vast majority of the offences was recorded by the police. A total of 12,700 offences were recorded by the customs and border guard, which was 3.1 per cent of all offences reported to the authorities. A total of 8,000 offences were recorded by the customs, which was 8.3 per cent lower than one year before. A total of 4,700 offences were recorded by the border guard, which was 5.4 per cent fewer than one year before. Around one-quarter of the offences recorded by the customs and border guard were alcohol offences or minor alcohol offences and narcotics offences.

Examined by region, the number of offences increased in the regions of Åland (+13.8%), Kanta-Häme (+6.0%), Pirkanmaa (+5.2%), Central Finland (+4.9%), Ostrobothnia (+3.3%), Varsinais-Suomi (+2.6%), and Pohjois-Savo (+2.6%). The number of offences fell most in relative terms in the region of South Karelia, by 13.2 per cent from the year before.

Relative to the population, the highest numbers of offences were recorded in the regions of Kymenlaakso and Päijät-Häme. In the whole country, 7,552 offences per 100,000 population were recorded while the corresponding figure in 2014 was 7,666.

Figure 1. Offences by region per 100,000 population in 2015

Identity theft was added to the Penal Code on 4 September 2015. During 2015, altogether 518 identity thefts were recorded.

1.2. Offences against property

In 2015, a total of 236,300 offences against property were recorded, which was 2.1 per cent lower than the year before. Among offences against property, theft offences (theft Penal Code, Section 28, Paragraph 1, aggravated theft Section 28, Paragraph 2, and petty theft Section 28, Paragraph 3) formed the biggest group. In all, 138,300 of them were reported, which was 3.4 per cent fewer than one year previously. The number of theft offences has mainly been falling throughout the 2000s. The number of thefts (Penal Code, Section 28, Paragraph 1) recorded in 2015 was 69,100, or 2.5 per cent fewer than one year before. The recorded number of aggravated thefts (Penal Code, Section 28, Paragraph 2) was 3,500, which was 3.8 per cent fewer than in 2014. The number of petty thefts (Penal Code, Section 28, Paragraph 3) recorded was 65,700, which was 4.3 per cent lower than in 2014. One-third (47,700) of all theft offences were thefts and petty thefts from shops. Compared with 2014, the number of thefts from shops fell by 3.5 per cent.

The number of burglaries (thefts, aggravated thefts or petty thefts through unlawful breaking in) reported was 34,100, which was 0.4 per cent more than in 2014. The number of break-ins into free-time residences decreased by 8.5 per cent. A total of 1,700 of them were reported in 2015. Breaking into residences went down by 4.9 per cent from the previous year. A total of 4,300 of them were recorded. Breaking into a motor vehicle increased by 2.0 per cent.

Figure 2. Burglaries 2015

Good one-sixth of property offences were damage to property. In all, 37,600 of them were recorded, which was 11.5 per cent lower than in 2014. The number of damages to property has been on the decline for a few past years. Good one-half of damage to property were committed in public places.

The number of frauds (fraud Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraph 1, petty fraud Section 36, Paragraph 2, aggravated fraud Section 36, Paragraph 3) recorded was 26,100, which was 11.0 per cent more than in 2014. Frauds make up around one-tenth of offences against property. In all, 10,900 means of payment frauds were recorded, which was 40.4 per cent more than in 2014. The number of both frauds and means of payment frauds has been growing over the past ten years.

In 2015, a total of 1,300 accounting and debtor offences were recorded, which was 5.5 per cent less than in the previous year. Forgery offences (forgery, petty forgery, aggravated forgery, possession of forgery materials Penal Code, Section 33, Paragraphs 1 to 4) recorded was 2,700, which was 17.6 per cent down on 2014. The number of recorded forgery offences has been declining almost throughout the 2000s. In 2010, a total of 4,600 of them were recoded and in 2000 a total of 6,200.

The number of robberies reported was 1,550, which was 8.2 per cent fewer than in 2014. Of the robbery offences, 1,100, or 70.7 per cent, took place in a public place. Of the robberies, 17.2 per cent were aggravated.

Figure 3. Offences against property 2015 (In total 236,323 offences)

Table 1. Selected offences against property by region per 100,000 population in 2015

Region	All offences against property	Burglaries	Unauthorised thefts of a motor vehicle	Robberies	Damages to property	Embezz- lements	Frauds, means of payment frauds
Whole country	4,319	623	136	28	688	53	676
Uusimaa	5,514	697	152	41	870	73	685
Varsinais-Suomi	4,208	731	149	30	541	58	605
Satakunta	3,347	598	118	25	671	41	401
Kanta-Häme	3,803	618	150	29	622	41	614
Pirkanmaa	4,350	679	136	29	753	41	598
Päijät-Häme	4,436	854	146	25	647	52	723
Kymenlaakso	4,249	686	202	26	684	49	603
South Karelia	3,291	505	122	25	563	42	454
Etelä-Savo	3,069	696	122	15	544	31	399
Pohjois-Savo	3,102	387	105	20	578	43	495
North Karelia	2,856	295	74	12	562	38	467
Central Finland	3,809	616	93	19	627	42	723
South Ostrobothnia	2,062	320	54	6	350	55	346
Ostrobothnia	3,529	571	144	21	708	23	395
Central Ostrobothnia	2,125	251	36	4	485	32	251
North Ostrobothnia	3,879	530	167	29	590	47	696
Kainuu	2,791	242	64	9	607	39	426
Lapland	3,792	748	164	19	623	40	439
Åland	3,178	661	76	3	723	31	228

1.3. Offences against the person

In 2015, a total of 32,900 assault offences (assault, petty assault, aggravated assault) were recorded, which was close on 1,000 cases (2.9 per cent) more than in 2014. Aggravated assaults decreased by 5.0 per cent compared to the previous year. The number recorded was 1,560. Over the past ten years (2006 to 2015), 34,700 assaults, on average, have been reported yearly. The law reform, which entered into force at the beginning of 2011, considerably increased the number of assault offences recorded in 2011. After the legislative amendment, petty assaults on minors or close relatives became officially prosecutable. In 2011, 40,200 assault offences were recorded.

The recorded number of offences against life was 96. This was five cases fewer than in 2014. The annual average for the past ten years is 109. The corresponding figure was 137 between 1996 and 2005. The number of attempted manslaughters, murders or killings fell by 28. A total of 299 of them were recorded. When recording an offence, the line between attempted manslaughter and aggravated assault is open to interpretation, which may have an effect on the level changes visible in the statistics.

A total of 1,052 rapes (rape, aggravated rape,rape, paragraph 3) were recorded, which was 4.3 per cent more than in 2014. From 2006 to 2015, an average of 880  rapes were reported per year. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 1,230, which was 13.1 per cent fewer than in the year before. A total of 283 cases of sexual abuse were reported. The recorded numbers of rapes and sexual exploitations of a child vary much yearly. Individual reports may include a series of incidents comprising several criminal acts.

In 2015, 43 per cent of offences against the person and 39 per cent of assault offences were committed in private dwellings. In all, 18.7 per cent of rape offences were committed in public places. In 2014, the corresponding share was 13.3 per cent and in 2009, 23.5 per cent of rape offences were committed in public places. In total, 45.6 per cent of sexual abuse took place in a public place.

Table 2. Selected violent offences by region per 100,000 population in 2015

Region	Manslaughter, murder, killing and their attempts	Assault	Aggravated assault	Petty assault	Rape offences
Whole country	7	417	28	173	19
Uusimaa	5	489	24	185	23
Varsinais-Suomi	3	333	21	192	15
Satakunta	5	358	35	150	14
Kanta-Häme	12	298	31	169	14
Pirkanmaa	7	396	32	164	25
Päijät-Häme	8	362	33	142	13
Kymenlaakso	10	430	33	157	22
South Karelia	8	285	17	176	15
Etelä-Savo	10	338	21	208	13
Pohjois-Savo	6	382	25	283	19
North Karelia	9	335	45	222	9
Central Finland	9	487	33	160	20
South Ostrobothnia	7	335	26	83	11
Ostrobothnia	8	374	35	90	13
Central Ostrobothnia	4	469	26	114	14
North Ostrobothnia	8	431	26	123	16
Kainuu	6	537	32	285	12
Lapland	8	413	41	183	15
Åland	-	563	31	86	31

1.4. Victims of violent offences

Nearly 40 per cent of assault offences were committed in private dwellings. Over one-half of assaults of women and one-quarter of those of men were made in private dwellings. Close on 45 per cent of assaults of men and good one-fifth of those of women took place in a public place. Good ten per cent of assaults were made in restaurants.

Figure 4. Assault offences by scene and victim’s sex in 2015 (Total 33,874 offences)

Victims of violent offences recorded in 2015 numbered 37,400, which was 1.8  per cent more than in 2014. Of the victims, 21,400 (57.2 per cent) were men and 16,000 (42.8 per cent) women. The number of male victims was 2.4 per cent and that of female ones 1.2 per cent higher than in 2014. A total of 33,100 persons were victims of assault offences (Penal Code, Section 21, Paragraphs 5 to 7), 19,600 (59.2 per cent) of them men and 13,500 (40.8 per cent) women. Information on victims is obtained reliably only on certain violent offences.

Altogether 4,300 (13.1 per cent) of the victims of assault offences were aged 18 to 21. There were 4,600 (13.8 per cent) victims aged over 50. Assault offences directed at children aged under 18 increased by 17.9 per cent from the year before. The number of child victims was now 5,900. This is 17.8 per cent of all victims of assault offences. Of child victims of assault offences, 3,800 (63.8 per cent) were boys and 2,100 (36.2 per cent) girls. Among the child victims of assault offences, 37.2 per cent were aged under ten, 32.9 were aged 10 to 14, and 29.9 per cent were aged 15 to 17. Of the 1,100 victims of sexual abuse as a child, 87.4 per cent were girls and 12.6 per cent boys.

Figure 5. Victims of certain offences by age and sex in 2015

1.5. Offences involving intoxicating substances

In all, 23,400 narcotics offences were recorded in 2015, which was 1,600 cases (7.4 per cent) more than in 2014. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 7.8 per cent from the previous year. A total of 1,070 of them were recorded. The number of narcotics abuse offences grew most in absolute numbers, by 10.9 per cent. The recorded number was 15,200, which was 1,500 cases more than in 2014.

From 2009, the figures include the offences recorded by the customs and border guard, which increases the number of narcotics offences by about one-tenth compared with narcotics offences known to the police.

Figure 6. Narcotics offences in 2012–2015 (Total 23,400 offences)

The recorded number of alcohol offences and minor alcohol offences was 3,200, which was 500 cases, or 13.3 per cent lower than in 2014.

When compiling statistics on offences involving intoxicating substances, offences comprising several criminal acts are entered as one. Offences involving intoxicating substances are such that they are generally found out only as a result of the activity of the police or customs and border guard officials and the majority of the offences remain undisclosed.

Source: Statistics on offences and coercive measures 2015, Offences reported. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

---

Updated 22.3.2016