NCJ Number
218410
Journal
European Journal of Criminology Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 131-160
Date Published
April 2007
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This study assessed whether border regions of Lithuania were more susceptible to crime than the other regions of the country.
Abstract
The comparison of levels and patterns of offenses in different parts of Lithuania revealed significant differences in the level and geography of offenses between border regions and the rest of the country. Findings indicated that although the highest average increases in recorded criminal offenses were within two border regions, the non-border regions actually had a higher average increases in recorded crimes during the 1990s. Moreover, assault was the only offense that increased in border areas in 2004. The findings suggest that those living in urban areas of Lithuania are more at risk for victimization than those living in other areas of the country, including border regions. They also suggest that having a high proportion of crossing points on a border has no significant effect on crime rates in those areas. Data on regional level offenses committed between 1993 through 2000 were collected from the Interior Ministry’s database. Statistics Lithuania provided data on population demographics, socioeconomic status, and indicators of the municipalities. For comparative purposes, data were also drawn from the 2000 Vilnius Crime Victimization Survey, which included 1,526 face-to-face interviews. Human smuggling and trafficking data were obtained from the Ministry of the Interior for the years 1999 through 2004. Data were analyzed using spatial statistical techniques and Geographic Information Systems. Future research should attempt to replicate the findings in other countries. Figures, tables, appendixes, references