CRIMINOLOGICAL SITUATION IN LITHUANIA TODAY
One of the major today’s problems in the world and especially in Lithuania is a horrible criminological situation. Why people don’t feel safe in the street, and even in their home? Are there any possibilities to reduce crime rate? What means must take our government? And what we can do to protect ourselves? These are the points I would like to speak about.
Firstly, I would like to give a look at the numbers. Statistics tells that last year in Lithuania were registered about eighty thousand crimes. Tenth of them were registered in my native town Šiauliai. Unhappily only forty-seven percent of these crimes were unthreaded. It is really terrible fact. These numbers are really shocking, but let’s think how many crimes weren’t overall registered…
Secondly I want to talk about the most numerous crimes against property or people. Crimes involving stealing, such as burglaries, shoplifting and pick pocketing, are the most popular. Despite the made damage, these crimes are not such serious, because criminals don’t use violence against people. Furthermore there are outlaws who use violence, and unhappily their popularity is growing and growing in Lithuania. I am talking about mugging, robbing, looting.
Moreover there are some car crimes, there criminals create danger situation not only for themselves, but also for innocent pedestrians. These crimes are very serious too. For example: drunk-driving, joyriding, speeding, reckless driving and so on.
In addition to this, there are some very hard crimes, but thanks God not so popular in our country, for instance hijacking, kidnapping, assassins or terrorism. These crimes take a very small part of all committed crimes in Lithuania. Needless to say, that our government don’t look to the facts and statistics. Instead of giving money in-country protection, they rather give money to the defence from terrorism. It’s bad, but It is only my opinion.
The only way to reduce the amount of crime is to give more money to the street lighting, to install closed circuit television, improve security and let more officers on the beat.