13521_not-searchable
/en/sosiale-forhold-og-kriminalitet/statistikker/lovbrudde/arkiv
13521
More young people arrested for crimes
statistikk
2001-11-16T10:00:00.000Z
Social conditions, welfare and crime;Immigration and immigrants;Svalbard
en
lovbrudde, Offences investigated, crime, criminal cases, police's decision (for example prosecution, case dropped, fine), detection, the accused, relapse, offence groups (for example violence, drugs, crimes for profit), types of offence (for example theft, murder, rape)Social conditions, welfare and crime, Social conditions, welfare and crime, Crime and justice, Social conditions, welfare and crime, Immigration and immigrants, Svalbard
false

Offences investigated, 2000

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More young people arrested for crimes

The number of people arrested for crimes is increasing. During the last three years, this increase has been greatest among young people under the age of 21 years. Almost 1 000 more young people were arrested for narcotics offences. At the same time, there was also an increase in the number of offences investigated in which charges were dropped.

The number of offences investigated continued to rise in 2000. Investigations of 314 000 crimes and 111 300 misdemeanours were concluded, corresponding to two per cent more crimes and roughly the same number of misdemeanours as in 1999. Among the crimes, there was an increase in simple and minor larceny, narcotics crimes, crimes inflicting damage to property, violent crimes and threats. However, the police investigated fewer instances of aggravated larceny. As in 1999, theft constituted more than 60 per cent and narcotics crimes constituted 12 per cent of the crimes for which investigation was completed.

More cases dropped

In 2000, prosecution was dropped in 60 per cent of the crimes investigated due to insufficient information about the offender, 10 per cent of cases were dropped because of deficient evidence, while six per cent were settled with a ticket fine and 17 per cent resulted in indictment.

The police concluded their investigations of 7 000 more crimes, but charges were dropped in 9 500 more crimes than in 1999. The police and the prosecuting authority dropped charges in 8 300 more cases due to insufficient information about the offender, including 5 000 more cases of theft and 1 500 more cases of simple vandalism. In total, 221 200 crimes for which investigation was concluded were dropped without being solved by the police.

53 400 crimes were decided in court. This is nine per cent fewer than in 1999, which is partly related to the fact that fewer instances of fraud and theft resulted in indictment. By contrast, 12 per cent fewer crimes were settled by ticket fine. Less serious narcotics crimes were often settled by ticket fine, and the increase in the total number of ticket fines issued is related to the fact that more of these types of crimes were investigated. In total, the police cleared up 92 800 crimes, which is 1 900 fewer than in 1999.

The increase in the number of cases dropped entailed that the clear-up rate for crimes dropped by one percentage point, from 31 to 30 per cent, compared with the previous year.

More young offenders

There were nine per cent more persons charged with crimes in 2000 than in 1999. Of the 34 200 alleged offenders, 27 per cent had narcotics crimes as their most serious offence. Theft was the most serious offence of 25 per cent of the persons charged. Violent crime, in the form of assault and wounding or inflicting bodily harm, was the most serious crime committed by 11 per cent of alleged offenders. Seven per cent of alleged offenders were charged with crimes inflicting damage to property, four per cent with fraud and four per cent with threats.

Almost 68 per cent of alleged offenders were charged with one offence, 13 per cent were charged with two offences and 18 per cent with three or more offences. Approximately nine out of ten alleged offenders were arrested for an offence they had committed alone. However, among alleged offenders under the age of criminal responsibility, almost half were arrested for an offence they had committed with other people, and in the age group 15 to 17 years, one quarter were arrested for an offence they had committed with others.

Over 34 per cent of the persons charged with crimes were below the age of 21 years. Of these, four out of five were men, which means that more than four per cent of the total male population in the age group 15 to 17 years and more than five per cent in the age group 18 to 20 were charged with one or more crimes in the course of 2000. Many boys under the age of criminal responsibility - two per cent of thirteen year olds and almost four per cent of fourteen year olds - were arrested for crimes.

Since 1994, the total number of persons charged with crimes has increased by 35 per cent. There has been an increase in the number of persons charged in all age groups, and the distribution by age among the persons charged has remained relatively stable in the seven-year period. However, the percentage of offenders under the age of criminal responsibility has risen slightly, and since 1998, the number of persons under the age of 21 years charged with crimes has risen by far more than in older age groups. There are more young offenders in most categories of crimes, but they most frequently have theft, narcotics crimes or crimes inflicting damage to property as their most serious offences. During the last three years, the number of young people arrested for narcotics crimes rose by 52 per cent, and people under the age of 21 years now constitute half of the persons charged with use of narcotics.

Recidivism

Of the 65 000 persons charged with offences in 1995, 42 per cent were charged with one or more new offences during the course of the five-year period 1996 to 2000.

Of the men under the age of 25 years charged, more than 50 per cent were arrested for new offences in the following five-year period. The rate of recidivism was highest in the age group 15 to 17 years, at 57 per cent for the entire age group and 63 per cent for men. The highest rate of recidivism among women is in the age group 25 to 39 years.

Among persons charged with narcotics offences, almost three-quarters recidivated, and this figure was over half among persons charged with offences for profit, violent crimes and crimes inflicting damage to property. Recidivism among persons charged with sexual offences was 29 per cent. Seven per cent of all persons charged with sexual offences in 1995 were arrested for new sexual offences at their last recidivism.