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Published: 20 April 2016

Number of means of payment frauds growing heavily

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, a total of 183,000 offences were recorded by the police, customs and border guard in January to March 2016, which is 13,300 cases (6.8 per cent) lower than one year earlier. The recorded number of crimes against life and health was 8,250, which is 2.3 per cent more than in 2015. The number of means of payment frauds recorded was close on 5,000, which was 174.6 per cent up from the first quarter of 2015.

Frauds and means of payment frauds in 2010 to 2016

A majority of the reported offences are recorded by the police. During January to March 2016, a total of 179,200 offences were recorded by the police, which is 7.1 per cent down from 2015. In January to March 2016, a total of 2,500 offences were recorded by the customs and 1,300 offences by the border guard. Compared with January to March 2015, the offences recorded by the customs increased by 13.2 per cent and those recoded by the border guard by 17.7 per cent.

Offences against property

During the first quarter of 2016, a total of 48,800 offences against property were recorded, which was 1,900 (3.8 per cent) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

During January to March 2016, a total of 6,400 frauds (fraud, petty fraud, aggravated fraud; Penal Code, Section 36, Paragraphs 1 to 3) were recorded, which is 7.1 per cent fewer than in January to March of the year before. The number of frauds has grown considerably in the 2000s. In 2009, altogether 4,500 of them were reported. In the first quarter of 2016, a total of 350 aggravated frauds were recorded, which is 25.7 per cent fewer than one year earlier.

During January to March 2016, means of payment frauds numbered 4,960, which is 3,160 cases (174.6 per cent) more than in the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Forty of the means of payment frauds were aggravated. Of all means of payment frauds, 2,000 (40.6 per cent) were carried out abroad.

The number of robberies reported was 390, which is the same as in January to March 2015. Eighty-three of the robberies were aggravated. A total of 680 embezzlements and aggravated embezzlements were reported, which is 4.4 per cent fewer than in the first quarter of 2015.

A total of 25,500 theft offences (theft, aggravated theft, petty theft) were reported in January to March, which is 2,900 cases fewer (10.2 per cent) than in early 2015. The number of aggravated thefts recorded was 750, which is down by 1.6 per cent from the year before. The number of break-ins into houses recorded was 1,100, which is 70 cases (5.6 per cent) lower than in the first quarter of 2015. Altogether, 10,700 thefts and petty thefts from shops were recorded, which is 1,000 cases fewer than in January to March 2015.

The recorded number of unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle and thefts of use of a motor vehicle was 1,100, which is 18.4 per cent lower than in January to March 2015. From the early 2000s, the number of these offences has fallen to under one third.

During January to March 2016, damages to property numbered 7,000, which is 1,200 cases (14.5 per cent) fewer than in the previous year. Altogether, 48 aggravated damages to property were reported.

Offences against the person

The number of assault offences recorded was 7,800 during January to March 2016, which is 200 cases (2.7 per cent) more than in the corresponding period in 2015. Compared with the first quarter of 2015, aggravated assaults went up by 7.7 per cent. Now, 390 of them were recorded. 

The number of rapes recorded was 250, which was the same as in January to March 2015 but close on 30 cases more than in the corresponding period in 2014. The recorded number of sexual exploitations of a child was 344, which was 3.0 per cent more than in early 2015. In addition, 250 other sexual offences were reported, of which 130 were cases of sexual harassment. In the corresponding period in 2015, altogether 44 cases of sexual harassment 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 3,700 in January to March 2016, which is 1.3 per cent down from the corresponding period in 2015. Nearly one-half of the recorded drunken driving cases were aggravated drunken driving. Aggravated drunken driving decreased by 8.7 per cent and other drunken driving increased by 4.7 per cent.

The number of narcotics offences recorded was 5,900, which is up by 2.3 per cent on the year before. The number of aggravated narcotics offences went down by 6.1 per cent. A total of 300 of them were recorded. Around two out of three narcotics offences were use offences. A total of 3,700 of them were recorded, which was the same as in early 2015.

In all, 630 identity thefts were recorded.

Altogether, 94,200 cases of endangerment of traffic safety (Penal Code, Section 23, Paragraphs 1 to 2, 11), hit-and-runs, and traffic infractions, which is 11,600 cases (11.0 per cent) fewer than in early 2015. Of these offences, 57,600 were cases of exceeding speed limits.

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 January, February and March and in January to March 2016 and change from the corresponding period of the previous year

Offence	January		February		March		January-March
	2016	Change	2016	Change	2016	Change	2016	Change
1) Offences and infractions total	58,354	-11,658	59,579	-579	65,037	-1,058	182,970	-13,295
2) Offences against the Criminal Code	32,501	-2,039	33,572	534	36,304	-2,585	102,377	-4,090
3) Offences A to F	27,824	-1,965	29,920	1,575	31,588	-1,340	89,332	-1,730
Burglary	2,021	-203	2,205	-47	2,233	-317	6,459	-567
Unauthorised uses and thefts of a motor vehicle, thefts of use of a motor vehicle	331	-94	371	-13	389	-137	1,091	-244
Robbery	132	-	118	19	136	-12	386	7
Damage to property	2,072	-716	2,006	-618	2,896	155	6,974	-1,179
Manslaughter, murder and killing	8	-1	4	1	7	-	19	-
Assault	2,764	236	2,545	156	2,499	-186	7,808	206
Rape	85	16	82	19	80	-35	247	-
Drunken driving	1,091	-175	1,177	42	1,443	83	3,711	-50
Narcotics offences	1,840	-162	1,955	180	2,126	114	5,921	132
4) Endangerment of traffic safety, hit-and-run, traffic infraction, violation of social welfare legislation on road traffic and motor vehicle infraction	30,530	-9,693	29,659	-2,154	33,449	282	93,638	-11,565
-exceeding speed limits 1)	19,612	-10,442	19,199	-4,083	18,775	-3,725	57,586	-18,250

1) 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 2016, 1. quarter

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Number of certain types of offences in January to March 2012 to 2016 (preliminary data) (20.4.2016)

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Updated 20.4.2016