Police: crisis leads to spike in crime rates

  • 2009-03-04
  • By Monika Hanley

CRIMES IN CRISIS: The police said the crime wave that has recently swept through the country would abate as heating prices fell in summer.

RIGA - The Riga Criminal Police have blamed the economic crisis for the recent crime wave sweeping Latvia.
Police have announced that despite the recent wave of crime, offenses are expected to be reduced as spring and summer arrive. Police representatives said the spike in petty theft and robbery has been caused in large part by rising heating bills.

"Crime will reduce in spring because people will have more money in summer as they do not have to pay for heating, there are also more chances for seasonal work, and people will spend more time in the country," said Ints Kuzis, head of Riga Criminal Police.

The rise in crime has also been associated with the release of a large number of felons who served both 20 and 10 year sentences and are now reentering the work force, many as taxi drivers.
 "We have forgotten how it was at the time," he said, "People were killed in the streets for five lats (7 euros)," said Kuzis, commenting on the situation when he joined the Criminal Police in 1999.
The rise in crime, though not as dangerous as in the past, has still led to a noticeable change in the streets. Rumors of armed robberies on trams, taxis and dark streets have increased as well.
"Before no one would really ask you for bus money in the streets. Now I get asked almost everyday," said Janis Jurkalns, a Latvian University student.

With the financial crisis persisting, problems worsen in winter, said Kuzis.
The Criminal Police head said the worsening economic situation was likely to result in more protests and mass gatherings in the streets.

"Jan. 13 riot and farmers' protests showed a trend. People see that they can speak and speak forever, but nothing changes, while as soon as they go, make a riot or arrive on tractors, things start moving," said Kuzis.
With the lack of money causing some to turn to crime, Kuzis also worries that young people will increasingly turn to crime to build themselves a future. With no money for summer camps for low income or delinquent youth, it leaves more time for criminal offenses or drug use 's a problem that is also on the rise among teens.
The police head said the welfare and well-being of society and cracking down on crime is in the hands of the new government. If the government is able to show the light at the end of the tunnel and does not dramatize the situation, it might help to reduce crime.

"I hope the time when people rob to survive will not come. The crime rate has to drop," he said.
In 2008, when the crisis began to put additional strain on Latvia, there were 57,475 crimes registered, which is 1,855 more than in 2007.