NCJ Number
75792
Date Published
Unknown
Length
29 pages
Annotation
Sweden's crime trends through 1979 and measures taken against crime are reviewed.
Abstract
While Criminal Code violations numbered about 500,000 in 1968, they grew to nearly 700,000 in 1979 -- an average increase of 3.3 percent per year. During this period, the number of reported crimes of violence committed by persons above the age of 15 rose by 40 percent. In 1979, the violent crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 937; for murder, manslaughter, and assault it was 357; for rape, 13.9; and for robbery, 46.5. Firearms were used in about 10 percent of the robberies. The rate of crimes of unlawful appropriation was 7,529 per 100,000 -- an increase of 46 percent over 1968. Included are the rates for theft by breaking and entering (2,107), other theft (4,739), and motor vehicle theft (516). Fraud offenses totalled 1,070 per 100,000 inhabitants over the age of 15 in 1979, compared to 1,013 in 1968. While check frauds dropped sharply as a result of a change in credit institution rules in 1971, charge card and credit frauds have increased. Studies of unreported crime have shown that each year, 1 out of every 4 or 5 citizens is the victim of a crime of unlawful appropriation, and 1 out of every 20 is the victim of violence. For the future, estimates indicate a continued upward trend for most Criminal Code offenses. In its fight against crime during the 1979-1980 fiscal year, the criminal justice system spent 48 million Swedish krona (Skr) on preventive measures, mainly school lectures; Skr 932 million on the correctional system; Skr 11 million on research and development; Skr 1,808 million on police surveillance; and Skr 1,501 million on crime investigation and criminal case prosecution. The activities of the National Council for Crime Prevention in the areas of crime forecasting, juvenile delinquency, prevention, treatment, alcohol and drug abuse, and economic crime are reviewed. Data tables and a 16-item reference list are included.