NCJ Number
171866
Journal
Crime and Justice International Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: March 1997 Pages: 6-8
Date Published
March 1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This overview of recent crime and enforcement trends in Hungary focuses on murder, the sex trade, drug offenses, auto theft, and economic crime, along with international law enforcement cooperation.
Abstract
When Communist rule of Hungary ended in 1990, the police were confronted with new challenges in public security and scarce enforcement resources. Economic problems and increasing unemployment led to an increase in crime and heightened public anxiety. From 1982 to 1995, overall crime in Hungary increased 280 percent, from 140,000 crimes recorded to 500,000 recorded crimes. In recent years the number of homicides in Hungary has fluctuated between 180 and 240. Last year, the number of homicides passed 300. Execution-style murders that involve assassins hired by rival organized crime groups are increasing. Although nothing new for Hungary, prostitution has exploded in recent years, just like the rest of the sex industry. Situated on the "Balkan Route" for heroin from Southeast Asia to Western Europe, Hungary is fast becoming a major transit country for narcotics. Vehicle-related crimes have become the most profitable business for organized crime in Hungary, and economic crime by organized criminals has increased 388 percent, from 36,400 cases in 1991 to 141,400 in 1995. The Hungarian National Police Headquarters has developed and maintains close professional relationships with the police forces of numerous countries, including the United States. This has yielded expanded resources and technical assistance.