Law changes skyrocket crime stats

  • 2000-09-28
  • Jorgen Johansson
RIGA - New changes in Latvia's criminal codes have caused criminal statistics in the first eight months of this year to skyrocket. Prior to 1998 police did not bother with petty crimes - ones involving a lat ($0.61) or less. But now they have to.

Krists Leiskalns, spokesman for the state police, said crimes decreased between 1992 and 1998. However, recent changes in the criminal codes have turned the trend upward again.

"After the changes in the law, we have to investigate every single crime that is reported, even if it only concerns one lat," he said.

Still, police in Latvia are more focused on solving more serious crimes, and police data show a decrease there.

"If we look at hard crimes, the statistics show a decrease in murders and gun-related crimes for instance," Leiskalns said.

There are 10 police stations in Riga, where approximately half of all crimes in Latvia are committed. According to police statistics, most crimes in Riga take place between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The safest time to be out is at 4 a.m. About 70 percent of all crimes are thefts of some sort.

Leiskalns said stealing is the most common crime in any country.

"Police work on it, of course, but it's more interesting for insurance companies, and this business is going up in Latvia," he said.

If one was to have one's car stolen in Latvia, there's a slim chance of getting it back, according to police statistics. There are rumors about police officers involved in organized car thefts where the owners are phoned and offered to buy their vehicle back.

But Leiskalns said it's nonsense that the police would have anything to do with cars getting stolen in Latvia. Still, he is aware of the rumors circulating about people picking up stolen cars in front of police stations in Riga.

"We have incidents when people are offered to buy their stolen car back. Still, these people don't contact the police," Leiskalns said.

"In general, solving car thefts is tricky business since there are no finger prints and usually never any witnesses," he said. "These crimes are usually organized."

The police in Latvia have solved 11,985, or 37.7 percent, of 31,762 criminal offenses registered in the first eight months of this year, which is 2.2 percent more than for the same period last year. The total number of reported crimes have gone up by 4,233 or 15.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

In Riga, the police have solved 2,193 or only 19.4 percent of the 11,318 crimes registered with the criminal police.

There's also an ongoing war against drugs in Latvia. Harsh sentences are not enough to keep people from using illegal substances, statistics show.

On Sept. 6, Riga City Council officials, representatives from the Interior Ministry and the state police held a meeting regarding illegal drugs in Latvia. It was decided that the City Council will start issuing licenses for night clubs.

"This (decision) will really make owners of night clubs responsible for illegal activities related to drug trafficking and drug abuse in their clubs and bars," said Normunds Vilmitis, deputy chief police of the Drug Enforcement Bureau. "Great attention has to be paid to drug abuse prevention."

Interior Minister Mareks Seglins said at a press conference, that a situation when an entertainment facility where police have on several occasions detained persons over drug dealing and possession is inadmissible.

"I believe such establishments should be closed immediately, but it is not possible without respective legislation," Seglins said.

Vilmitis said police regularly carry out inspections in night clubs to detain persons engaged in illegal drug trafficking.

"DEB believes the owners of night clubs, cafes, bars or dancing places have to be responsible for what happens on their premises," Vilmitis said.

Still, he added that owners are not to be held responsible for whatever their clients keep in their pockets, and that owners won't be arrested if one of their clients is caught with drugs.

"The owner will only be arrested if he or she is involved in drug related activities," Vilmitis said.

DEB is currently working hard on trying to stop drugs from entering Latvia.

"DEB processes, collects, analyzes and stores official, legal and secret information on persons, facts, accidents and cases which are relevant to fighting illegal drug trafficking," Vilmitis said.

In order to improve the system for taking care of drug addicts, DEB works closely with the Narcology Center based in Riga. Astrida Stirna, director at the Narcology Center, said the center provides services for drug and alcohol addicts brought to them by the police, and that the state police currently owes the center money.

"I don't know how much they owe us," Stirna said. "We have six different departments and we provide services for the police all over the country."

According to BNS, the state police presently owes 20,000 lats to the Narcology Center for services rendered. This year the state police has received 220,000 lats for combating drugs.