Petty theft on the rise in Latvia / Article

Compared to 2024, the number of crimes in the country has increased slightly last year – they were committed approximately 200 times per 10,000 inhabitants, according to data compiled by the State Police.

The highest number of crimes was recorded in Daugavpils and Riga. Statistics show that last year there was an increase in the number of sexual offences against minors. There has been a significant increase in the circulation of pornographic material and sexual violence. In 81% of cases, the victims were minors, and approximately the same number were women aged between 3 and 101. In most cases, the victims already knew the suspect.

State Police Chief Armands Ruks pointed out: “The average age is 35. In 93% of cases, these perpetrators are men, and most of the incidents take place online.”

However, petty theft has increased the most. The number of petty thefts increases when people feel their welfare is declining.

The State Police urged politicians and law enforcement officials to consider whether petty thefts could be dealt with through administrative proceedings rather than criminal proceedings. This would also make punishment for petty theft more inevitable.

“The road is quite long, and even with all the simplified guidelines that have long been developed, trying to shorten the process as much as possible, there is still a lot of work to be done. Twelve thousand out of 37 thousand are petty thefts. Can you imagine? A third of all crime!” said Ruks.

The Chief of the State Police described last year as busy and intense, predicting that this year the police could also face criminal offences related to the justification of war and the use of aggressor symbols.

However, the responsible services must work actively to inform the public about people whose actions may threaten internal security. In Ruks’ assessment, Latvia is still a relatively safe country.

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