The Public Order and Internal Security Situation in the Regions of the Czech Republic in 1999

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North Bohemia

Area  (km2):
Population:
Unemployment rate:
Density:

7,799
1,180,325
13,65
151


Development of crime in 1997 - 1999
Kind of crime 1997 1998 1999
  Crime Clr. up Det. rate (%) Crime Clr. up Det. rate (%) Crime Clr. up Det. rate (%)
Total crime 49,338 21,334 43.2 51,430 22,769 44.3 49,933 23,519 47.1
Development changes 958 +1,767 +2.8 +2,092 +1,435 +1.0 -1,497 +750 +2.8
Violent crimes 3,019 2,501 82.8 3,189 2,745 86.1 3,059 2,596 84.9
Murders 40 34 85.0 41 30 73.2 34 30 88.2
Robberies 577 279 48.4 538 306 56.9 554 307 55.4
Moral crimes 305 265 86.9 342 311 90.9 307 272 88.6
Rape 100 80 80.0 96 79 82.3 96 75 78.1
Crimes against property 36,274 9,557 26.3 37,286 9,892 26.5 34,335 9,220 26.9
Total burglaries 12,965 3,311 25.5 12,100 3,059 25.3 10,826 2,724 25.2
Burglaries to flats 2,404 714 29.7 1,936 647 33.4 1,705 501 29.4
Burglaries to weekend houses 2,318 554 23.9 2,189 533 24.3 1,914 530 27.7
Common thefts 21,391 5,343 25.0 22,880 5,717 25.0 21,104 5,362 25.4
Pickpockets 621 106 17.1 683 149 21.8 707 109 15.4
Car thefts 5,067 879 17.3 4,784 757 15.8 4,483 671 15.0
Thefts from cars 7,087 1,413 19.9 8,248 1,605 19.5 7,244 1,480 20.4
Bicycle thefts 2,461 544 22.1 2,299 427 18.6 1,987 381 19.2
Economic crimes 3,828 3,503 91.5 4,138 3,720 89.9 5,194 4,745 91.4
Embezzlement 628 620 98.7 1,050 1,043 99.3 851 835 98.1
Fraud 1,754 1,727 98.5 1,119 1,104 98.7 1.580 1,538 97.3

Crime in North Bohemia in 1999
Total crime 49,933 (-2.9 %)
Crime per 10,000 inhabitants 423  
Number of crimes cleared up 23,519 (+3.3 %)
Average detection rate (%) 47.1% (+2.8 %)

Crime in districts
The highest number of crimes Teplice 6,861
  Liberec 6,248
The highest number of crimes /10,000 inhabitants Teplice 530
  Česká Lípa 483
The lowest number of crimes Louny 2,774
  Jablonec nad Nisou 3,507
The highest increase in crimes (%) Děčín +2.5 %
  Liberec +1.6 %
The highest decrease in crimes (%) Česká Lípa -9.8 %
  Teplice -9.1 %

The security situation in North Bohemia in 1999 remained unchanged in comparison with the previous year. In 1999, there were 49,933 (-2.9%) crimes, 23,519 (+3.3%) of them were cleared up and the detection rate was 47.1% (+2.8%). In comparison with other regions in the Czech Republic in terms of total crimes committed, North Bohemia ranked fifth in the Czech Republic (the same position as in 1998). Most crimes were detected in the Teplice and Liberec districts. Other districts were affected by crimes evenly with the exception of the Jablonec nad Nisou and Louny districts, where the lowest number of crimes has been recorded on a long-term basis. Half of the region districts registered a decrease in crimes, the most markedly in the Česká Lípa (-9.7%) and Teplice (-9.1%) districts. On the other hand, the highest increase was recorded in the Děčín district (+2.5%). A positive trend in the number of crimes cleared up continued also in 1999. The total detection rate rose in all districts of the region; considerably so in the Ústí nad Labem (+6.9%) and Chomutov (+6.0%) districts.

Crime Factors in the Region (perceived by the Czech police of North Bohemia)

The causes of crimes were not markedly changed in comparison with the previous year. There is a range of specific factors, which are typical for North Bohemia and they usually do not change (e.g. geographic and demographic factors). Some other negative factors derived from the social developments are not negligible either (transformation of the society, etc.). Some districts display higher social tension, especially thanks to the high unemployment rate registered in the region, which was at the end of 1999 about 13%. It was considerably higher in the Most, Chomutov, and Teplice districts.

Crime Offenders

In 1999, 18,832 persons were investigated or prosecuted in North Bohemia, decreasing by 3.1%. This decline was considerable mainly in the Teplice (-7.9 %), Louny (-7.5 %) and Litoměřice (-6.2%) districts. The only exception is the Česká Lípa district, with an increase of, +5.2%.

In terms of the offenders´ structure, repeat offenders accounted for 30.3%. Most repeat offenders were prosecuted in the Česká Lípa (39.9%), Most (38.7%) and Jablonec nad Nisou (38.5%) districts. Their share in crimes cleared up reached 36.4% (-2.6). In the category of crimes against property, repeat offenders preferred burglaries to weekend houses (61.0%), restaurants (57.2%), shops (52.9%) and bicycle thefts (52.0%). In the category of violent crimes, they committed half of all murders cleared up.

In 1999, less foreigners were prosecuted compared with 1998 (952, i.e. by 5.2% less), however this issue cannot be underestimated. This fact is proved by an increase in crimes committed by foreigners that were cleared up (altogether 1,649 crimes; +29.0%) as well as a rise in their proportion of total crimes cleared up (6.8 %, which means increase by 1.4%).

Migration

16,676 persons (-29.7%) attempted to cross the national border illegally. The border police apprehended 10,922 (-25.8%) persons, while the neighbouring states returned, under mutual agreements, 5,754 (-36 %) persons. The number of attempts to cross the border illegally outside the official crossings decreased (-50.0%) and the police detected 97 cases of illegal motor vehicle transports across the borders which is up 5.4 % for the same period of 1998.

60 foreigners were apprehended crossing the nation borders while attempting to hide in trains and trucks. In the course of 1999, the police detected 99 persons who assisted illegal conveyance.

The principal directions of illegal border-crossings were in the Teplice-Ústí and Šluknov direction. Citizens of Afghanistan and East Asia used, to larger extent, the so-called guaranteed crossings across the national border.

The police paid attention to new risk factors: inspection of boats on the Elbe river at the Hřensko broder-crossing and checks on trains transporting trucks from Lovosice to Dresden.

The number of persons taken under escort increased more than seven times ( 2,784 persons were escorted).

Drugs

The number of persons prosecuted for other than alcohol addiction increased by more than 17%. 245 persons were prosecuted. They committed 483 (+80.1%) crimes, 346 of them (+59.4%) were crimes relating to unauthorised production and possession of narcotic and psychotropic substances and poisons. 137 cases involved spreading addiction, which means that their number increased twice in comparison to 1998. This issue was successfully solved in the Liberec district and also in the Děčín, Most and Teplice districts; the worse results were recorded only in the Litoměřice district.

In addition to repression activities, the police of North Bohemia also met the tasks in the field of prevention. Those activities included co-operation with district authorities, health centres, K_CENTRES and other entities.
Crimes of an Extremist Nature

The number of crimes demonstrating manifestations of racism and extremism slightly decreased in 1999. The police recorded 30 crimes of this kind (-3), 26 of them were cleared up and 44 persons were prosecuted. In the structure of crimes a moderate decline was registered at intentional injury to health and violence against a group of citizens and an individual (10 offences), on the other hand there was a 100% increase relating to defamation of a nation, race or conviction (10 crimes), incitment of national and racial hatred (3 crimes) and support and propagation of movements aimed at suppressing citizens´ rights and freedoms (7 crimes). Among the offenders, there were 18 skinheads. The highest number of such crimes was recorded in Ústí n. Labem (9 crimes and 18 offenders) and Most (6 crimes) districts.

Problems with racially motivated attacks were apparent in the Most district where there were mutual assaults between Roma and skinheads. The situation was negatively marked by a conflict between these groups in Livtínov where one of the skinheads (Reho Miloš) was heavily injured and died. The Police District Office had to adopt extraordinary safety measures, since skinheads organised a protest meeting on 24th May 1999.

Criminal Activities by Juveniles

The proportion of children to all prosecuted persons was 7.8% (+0.4%), the proportion of juvenile offenders decreased slightly and reached 7.2% (-1.7%).

According to the police statistical records the number of detected crimes committed by youth decreased by 17% in comparison with 1998. Young people committed a total number of 3,017 crimes while a decline was recorded in all districts. Youth´ (children and juveniles) proportion in total crimes cleared up was 12.5 %, i.e. a decline by 3.0%; the proportion of juveniles was 8.1% (-3.3%) and the proportion of children was 5.2 % (+0.1%). A further increase in crimes committed by children is a crucial problem (4,3%) including an increase of children who were investigated (+2.2 %). The highest rise was recorded in Ústí nad Labem, Teplice, and Jablonec nad Nisou districts.

The proportion of youth to total crime fell by 4.5% (thus it was 22.7%). However this proportion remained high in the cases of motorcycle thefts (65.4%), burglaries to stalls (45.5%), bicycle thefts (32.4%) and especially in the case of thefts from cars (31.7%). Youth also committed more violent crimes (+11.4%), where the proportion of children was higher by 27% (1 murder was committed as well).

Experts of the Czech police in North Bohemia dealing with youth issues were active in prevention. The police were presented in particular at primary and secondary schools and other educational facilities and they concentrated on all risky crimes endangering youth. Constantly good results in terms of prevention were reached in the Most district where the systematic work relating to social prevention has been performed for 3 years.

Crimes Against Property

The proportion of crimes against property in total crimes slightly decreased (-3.8%). The number of crimes against property – 34,335 -fell in comparison with 1998 by 7.9%. All districts of the region recorded a lower number of such crimes. Their number fell by more 10% in Chomutov, Teplice, and Louny districts. However, the detection rate remains low - 26.9% (+0.4%). A positive element is the decline of burglaries by 10.5% and common thefts by 7.8%.

Common theft numbers were influenced by the issue of motor vehicles representing almost 35% of crimes against property and common thefts accounting for 57%. The number of stolen motor vehicles fell by 6.3%. The most frequent crimes were thefts from cars (-12.2 %). The number of stolen bicycles decreased as well (-13.6 %).

Burglaries involved mainly burglaries to flats and recreational buildings, accounting for more than one third of all burglaries. The number of burglaries to weekend houses decreased by 12,6% and to flats by 11.9%. The spread of this crime moved especially according to demographic factors of the region. While Česká Lípa, Děčín, and Litoměřice districts were particularly affected by burglaries to recreational building (as these are recreational areas), Teplice, Ústí nad Labem and Most districts suffered mainly from burglaries to flats.

Teplice saw a new kind of property crime – thefts of TV aerials (cable TV), the first of them being recorded at the end of 1998, while in 1999 the police investigated 137 cases with the damage reaching CZK 750,000.

A special task force team was established as of 1st January 1999 to focus on car thefts. Since it was established, the team has detected 88 offenders who committed 304 crimes (mainly in the form of organised crime).

Economic Crimes

5,194 economic crimes with the rise of 25.5% were recorded in North Bohemia in 1999. All districts except for Česká Lípa recorded an increase in economic crimes with the highest increase in the Děčín, Ústí nad Labem districts. The detection rate reached 91.4% (+1.5%). The largest proportion in crimes that were not cleared up involved cases of currency forgery. The damages caused by economic crimes decreased in comparison with the previous period by 58.8% to CZK 2.6 billion and their proportion in total damage caused by crimes was 69.3 %. The number of economic crimes committed by foreigners and subsequently cleared up increased almost threefold (+547 crimes).

Frauds (+41.2%) and embezzlements (-19.0%) were the most frequent crimes recorded. Infringement of copyright increased more than six times, curtailment of taxes rose almost threefold, and infringement of rights to trademarks increased almost twice. More cases related to breaches of the duty to administer another’s property were cleared up (+61.7%). On the other hand there was a considerable decrease in the area of smuggling and curtailment of customs fees (-48.6%), failure to transfer statutory social and health insurance contributions (-35.1%) and forging and altering a public document (31.5%).

Violent Crimes

In this category the police recorded 3,059 crimes. The number of crimes decreased (-4,1%), unfortunately the same applies to the detection rate (-1.2%), which reached 84.9%. Almost one third of all violent crimes were injuries to health (-16.7%). The number of dangerous threats (by 12.8 %) and extortion (by 30.6 %) went up. More than a one third decline was registered in crimes of violation of domestic freedom. Of the total number of 34 (-7) murders, 30 cases were cleared up.

The number of robberies with the use of a weapon, mainly at petrol stations, in restaurants but also in the streets increased. The criminal police adopted operative measures and the same applies to patrol police. Before Christmas all District Police Offices adopted special measures in terms of higher sales in shops. All police departments were involved in those measures.

Moral Crimes

In comparison with 1998 the number of moral crimes decreased by 10.2%. A total number of 307 moral crimes were recorded. 17 crimes of pandering (-61,4%) and 8 crimes of trade in women (-70.4%) were ascertained in the region. Moral crime is permanently typical for the border districts of Teplice, Chomutov, and Děčín. Such crimes relate to prostitution.

There was an attempt to solve street prostitution in the Chomutov district, both in the town itself and on the road I/7 within misdemeanour proceedings. This approach does not meet the goal since the sanctions are more or less unenforceable. In the district of Teplice, the issue of prostitution was solved, as in the previous year, on the road E55 by the security measures adopted. In the Děčín district prostitution is apparent in two locations – Hřensko and Varnsdorf. The situation was solved by routine police patrols.

  1998 1999 +/- change in %
Total crime ascertained 51,430 49,933 -2.9
Crimes cleared up 22,769 23,519 3.3
which accounts for (%) 44.3 47.1 -
Total damage ascertained (in thousands of CZK) 7,433,487 3,723,614 -49.5
Secured damage (in thousands of CZK) 24,696 27,169 10.0
Common crimes 43,508 40,806 -6.2
Crimes cleared up 15,507 15.069 -2.8
which accounts for (%) 35.6 36.9 -
Violent crimes 3,189 3,059 -4.1
Crimes cleared up 2,745 2,596 -5.4
which accounts for (%) 86.1 84.9 -
Of which: Robberies 538 554 3.0
                   Murders 41 34 -17.1
                   Intentional injury to health 1,084 903 -16.7
                   Dangerous threats 367 414 12.8
                   Extortion 235 307 30.6
Moral crime 342 307 -10.2
Crimes cleared up 311 272 -12.5
which accounts for (%) 90.9 88.6 -
Of which: Rape 96 96 0.0
                   Procurement (pandering) 44 17 -61.4
Crimes against property 37.286 34,335 -7.9
Crimes cleared up 9.892 9,220 -6.8
which accounts for (%) 26.5 26.9 -
Burglaries 12,100 10,826 -10.5
Crimes cleared up 3,059 2,724 -11.0
which accounts for (%) 25.3 25.2 -
Of which: to shops 888 866 -2.5
                   to flats 1,936 1,705 -11.9
                   to weekend houses 2,189 1,914 -12.6
Common thefts 22,880 21,104 -7.8
Crimes cleared up 5,727 5,362 -6.4
which accounts for (%) 25.0 25.4 -
Of which: car theft 4,784 4,483 -6.3
                   thefts from cars 8,248 7,244 -12.2
                   bicycles 2,299 1,987 -13.6
                   pickpockets 683 707 3.5
Frauds 625 651 4.2
Other crime      
Rowdyism 468 532 13.7
Unauthorised production and possession of psychotropic substances and poisons 217 346 59.4
Spreading drug addiction 50 137 174.0
Frustrating execution of an official decision 1,178 1,332 13.1
Economic crime 4,138 5,194 25.5
Crimes cleared up 3,720 4,745 27.6
which accounts for (%) 89.9 91.4 -
Of which: Curtailment of taxes 158 156 -1.3
                   Frauds 1,119 1,580 41.2
                   Embezzlement 1,050 851 -19.0
                   Infringements of rights relating to trademarks 167 458 174.3
                   Infringement of copyright 70 453 547.1

West Bohemia– crime development in individual West Bohemian districts in 1998 – 1999
  1998 1999 Change
District Ascer. Clr. up Crime/
10 th. inh.
Det. rate % Ascer. Clr. up Crime/
10 th. inh.
Det. rate % Ascer. (%) Clr. up (%) Det. rat (%)
Česká Lípa 5,653 2,742 537 48.5 5,100 2,540 483 49.8 -9.8 -7.4 1.3
Děčín 4,605 2,409 345 52.3 4,720 2,630 353 55.7 2.5 9.2 3.4
Chomutov 5,106 2,334 407 45.7 4,792 2,478 382 51.7 -6.1 6.2 6.0
Jablonec n. N. 3,471 1,516 392 43.7 3,507 1,572 396 44.8 1.0 3.7 1.1
Liberec 6,151 2,324 386 37.8 6,248 2,426 392 38.8 1.6 4.4 1.0
Litoměřice 5,029 2,397 441 47.7 5,083 2,509 445 49.4 1.1 4.7 1.7
Louny 2,988 1,287 348 43.1 2,774 1,251 323 45.1 -7.2 -2.8 2.0
Most 5,083 2,258 424 44.4 5,156 2,416 432 46.9 1.4 7.0 2.4
Teplice 7,552 2,789 588 36.9 6,861 2,639 530 38.5 -9.1 -5.4 1.5
Ústí n. l. 5,792 2,713 488 46.8 5,692 3,058 480 53.7 -1.7 12.7 6.9
Total 51,430 22,769 436 44.3 49,933 23,519 423 47.1 -2.9 3.3 2.8


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