Crime in Poland refers to the incidence, deterrence, and handling of criminal activity in the Republic of Poland by Polish law enforcement agencies charged with ensuring public safety and maintaining order. Poland ranks favorably in terms of public safety, with one of the lowest homicide rates in Europe. [1] Poland was ranked 25th in the 2022 Global Peace Index [2] and scored 0.0 on the 2023 Global Terrorism Index. [3]
In 2022, Poland's homicide rate was 0.68 per 100,000, with a total of 270 murders committed. [1] The murder rate has remained relatively stable since 2014, when it was 0.74 per 100,000, with a total of 287 murders committed. [1] The highest recorded homicide rate in the modern history of Poland was 2.39 per 100,000 in 1994, [1] still during the democratic consolidation period following the 1989 fall of communism, which put an end to the Polish People's Republic and started the democratic transition.
According to UNODC data, the rape rate in Poland was 1.48 per 100,000 in 2022, down from 1.70 per 100,000 in 2015. [4] The sexual assault rate also decreased from 1.09 per 100,000 in 2015 to 0.9 per 100,000 in 2022. [4]
The Central Investigation Bureau of Police (pol. Centralne Biuro Śledcze Policji, CBŚP) is the law enforcement unit of the Polish Police responsible for fighting organized crime.
The most well-known of the Polish organized crime groups in the 1990s were the so-called Pruszków and Wołomin gangs. [5]
Polish organized crime emerged in the 1990s when the traditional criminal underworld became better organised due to rising corruption. [6] Organized crime groups were well known (1992) for operating sophisticated car theft-rings, [7] as well as for their involvement in drug trafficking (the main drug being amphetamine) and weapon trafficking.
The Pruszków mafia was an organized criminal group that emerged from the Warsaw suburb of Pruszków at the beginning of the 1990s. The group is known for being involved in large car-theft rings, drug trafficking (including cocaine, heroin, hashish and amphetamine), kidnapping, extortion, weapon trafficking (including AK-47's) and murder. Even though law enforcement dealt a severe blow to the Pruszków mafia, it is alleged that Pruszków-based gangs, with or without notice from their former leaders, have regained their strength in recent years and have begun setting up their car-theft rings and connections with Colombian drug cartels again. [8]
A similar organized crime group known as the Wołomin mafia from Wołomin near Warsaw, with whom they fought bloody turf wars, [9] was crushed by the Polish police in cooperation with the German police in a spectacular raid on a highway between Konin and Poznan in September 2011. [10]
According to the Corruption Perception Index for 2015, Poland was ranked as the 29th country with the least perceived corruption out of 168 countries assessed. [11] It is the eleventh successive year in which Poland's score and ranking has improved in the Index.
The law enforcement agency responsible for combating corruption within Poland's public sector is the Central Anticorruption Bureau (Polish : Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne).
| # | City | Number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sobótka | 7063,7 |
| 2. | Chorzów | 6733,3 |
| 3. | Legnica | 6361,5 |
| 4. | Kalisz | 6228,2 |
| 5. | Gdańsk | 6133,7 |
| 6. | Poznań | 6109,2 |
| 7. | Wrocław | 5983,4 |
| 8. | Kraków | 5974,2 |
| 9. | Kielce | 5926,6 |
| 10. | Gliwice | 5733,5 |
| 11. | Opole | 5649,8 |
| 12. | Włocławek | 5626,9 |
| 13. | Warsaw | 5353,2 |
| 14. | Bytom | 5332,5 |
| 15. | Elbląg | 5328,1 |
| 16. | Zielona Góra | 5193,2 |
| 17. | Tarnów | 5187,3 |
| 18. | Gorzów Wielkopolski | 5156,6 |
| 19. | Szczecin | 5120,9 |
| 20. | Toruń | 5120,2 |
| 21. | Łódź | 5116,4 |
| 22. | Sosnowiec | 5051,7 |
| 23. | Bielsko-Biała | 4969,1 |
| 24. | Lublin | 4968,7 |
| 25. | Zabrze | 4808,8 |
| 26. | Wałbrzych | 4710,2 |
| 27. | Dąbrowa Górnicza | 4690,8 |
| 28. | Radom | 4670,1 |
| 29. | Bydgoszcz | 4515,1 |
| 30. | Rybnik | 4500,7 |
| 31. | Gdynia | 4328,1 |
| 32. | Olsztyn | 4317 |
| 33. | Koszalin | 4004,7 |
| 34. | Ruda Śląska | 3945,3 |
| 35. | Rzeszów | 3890,9 |
| 36. | Tychy | 3842,7 |
| 37. | Częstochowa | 3786,5 |
| 38. | Płock | 3262,5 |
| 39. | Białystok | 2977 |
While local organized crime in Poland existed during the interwar period, it has mostly developed since the fall of communism (late 1980s/1990s) with the introduction of free market system in Poland and the lessening of the police (milicja) power.
Crime in Poland is lower than in many countries of Europe. [13]
Newer studies (2009) report that the crime victimisation rate in Poland is constantly decreasing, and in 2008 Poland was at a low end of 25 among the 36 European countries listed. [14] [15] A 2004 report on security concerns of European Union residents indicated that the Polish public (along with that of Greece) are the most afraid of crime, a finding which does not correlate with the actual crime threat. [16]
Estonia is a relatively safe country, and the risk of being a victim of crime in Estonia is small by international standards. As in other post-Soviet states, crime has increased in the 1990s, but then it has gradually decreased in the 21st century.
Crime is one of the most urgent concerns facing Mexico, as Mexican drug trafficking rings play a major role in the flow of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana transiting between Latin America and the United States. Drug trafficking has led to corruption, which has had a deleterious effect on Mexico's Federal Representative Republic. Drug trafficking and organized crime have been a major source of violent crime. Drug cartels and gangs have also branched out to conduct alternative illegal activities for profit, including sex trafficking in Mexico. Some of the most increasingly violent states in Mexico in 2020 included Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Jalisco, and Querétaro. Some of the world's most violent cities are reportedly within the state of Guanajuato with extortion from criminal groups now being commonplace. The state of Zacatecas is said to be valuable to multiple organized crime groups for drug trafficking, specifically methamphetamine to the United States. As of 2021, Michoacán is experiencing increased instances of extortion and kidnapping due to a growing presence and escalation in the armed conflicts between CJNG and Cárteles Unidos on regions bordering the neighboring state of Jalisco. CJNG is also currently battling the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in the North Mexican region of Sonora.
Crime in Portugal is combatted by a host of government agencies including the Ministry of Internal Administration, Ministry of Justice, Maritime Authority System, Economic and Food Safety Authority, and the Informations System of the Portuguese Republic, among others. Portugal has been a member of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO), commonly known as INTERPOL, since 1930.
Crime in Italy, though low compared to other developed countries, is present in various forms throughout the nation. Italy is notorious for its organized crime groups, which are present worldwide and collectively referred to as the Mafia. Resultantly, financial crimes like corruption, extortion, and theft are the most common type of illicit activity in the country. Violent crimes are very rare in Italy evidenced by its homicide rate of 0.51 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, which is the lowest in Europe aside from micro states like Vatican City and San Marino, and one of the lowest in the world.
Brazil has one of the highest crime rates in the world, which involves an elevated incidence of violent and non-violent crimes. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Brazil had a homicide rate of 21.26 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, up from 20.89 per 100,000 inhabitants with 43,073 murders in 2019; however, this was lower than in 2017, when Brazil had a homicide rate of 30.59 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2018, Brazil had one of the highest number of intentional homicides in the world with 57,358. In addition, Brazil rates second in illegal drug trade in the world.
Crime in Russia refers to the multivalent issues of organized crime, extensive political and police corruption, and all aspects of criminality at play in Russia. Violent crime in Siberia is much more apparent than in Western Russia.
Crime in the People's Republic of China occurs in various forms. The Chinese government does not release exact unified statistics on crime rates and the rate of criminal offending due to such information being considered politically and socially sensitive. Scarce official statistics released are the subject of much academic debate due to allegations of statistical fabrication, under-reporting and corruption. The illegal drug trade in China is a significant driver of violent crime, including murder.
Crime and violence affect the lives of millions of people in Latin America. Some consider social inequality to be a major contributing factor to levels of violence in Latin America, where the state fails to prevent crime and organized crime takes over State control in areas where the State is unable to assist the society such as in impoverished communities. In the years following the transitions from authoritarianism to democracy, crime and violence have become major problems in Latin America. The region experienced more than 2.5 million murders between 2000 and 2017. Several studies indicated the existence of an epidemic in the region; the Pan American Health Organization called violence in Latin America "the social pandemic of the 20th century." Apart from the direct human cost, the rise in crime and violence has imposed significant social costs and has made much more difficult the processes of economic and social development, democratic consolidation and regional integration in the Americas.
Slovakia is a Central European country with a history of relatively low crime. While crime became more widespread after the Revolutions of 1989, it remains low when compared to many other post-communist countries.
Crime in Serbia includes murder, organised crime, corruption, piracy, false bomb threats and mass shootings among others. It is combated by the Serbian police and other government agencies.
Crime in Montenegro is combated by the Montenegro Police and other agencies.
Crime in Bulgaria is combated by the Bulgarian police and other agencies. The UK Government ranks Bulgaria as a high crime area and crime there has significantly increased in recent years, largely due to the involvement of the bulgarian mafia.
Crime in Germany is handled by the German police forces and other agencies.
Crime in Denmark is combated by the Danish Police and other agencies.
Crime in Venezuela is widespread, with violent crimes such as murder and kidnapping increasing for several years. In 2014, the United Nations attributed crime to the poor political and economic environment in the country—which, at the time, had the second highest murder rate in the world. Rates of crime rapidly began to increase during the presidency of Hugo Chávez due to the institutional instability of his Bolivarian government, underfunding of police resources, and severe inequality. Chávez's government sought a cultural hegemony by promoting class conflict and social fragmentation, which in turn encouraged "criminal gangs to kill, kidnap, rob and extort". Upon Chávez's death in 2013, Venezuela was ranked the most insecure nation in the world by Gallup.
Crime in Ecuador is investigated by the Ecuadorian police.
Costa Rica is a Central American nation that boasts of a noteworthy safety record on crime as compared to its neighbors in the region. It is one of few nations that have abolished their nation's armed forces. Having had a stable past, this country has been successful in developing its economy. However, since 2000 there has been a significant rise in criminal activity. Increase in domestic illegal activity, such as theft, homicide, and organised crime, has overwhelmed the local population. Sebastian Huhn reports that, "In a public opinion poll in 2011, 45 percent of Costa Rican respondents said that crime and insecurity were the country’s biggest social problems." As a consequence of the overall societal changes, domestic-driven crime has been increasing in the environment that extends beyond traditional settings. Illegal activity, including distribution of weapons has been most commonly witnessed during the sporting events by 'barras' or fan clubs. Crime in Costa Rica, thus, is not only due to domestic crime groups but also transnational criminal organisations.
Organised crime in Indonesia refers to planned crimes in Indonesia that could be perpetrated by either a political party or Indonesian gangs, also referred to as preman. The illegal activities may include corruption, cybercrime, money laundering, violence, felonies, extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking.
Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" by Forbes in 2008. The homicide rate in Latvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020, a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000, and has been steadily decreasing. Although Latvia'a homicide rate is high by European Union standards,it is below the world average of 6.2 per 100.000. The United States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium", with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime. According to Interpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, or smuggling. According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form of sexual violence or rape, while men are subjected to violence outside the family.
The Pruszków mafia was a Polish criminal organization originating from Pruszków in the 1990s and one of the most infamous in the country's modern history. It was active in the vicinity of the city of Warsaw. The group is known for being involved in large car-theft rings, drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, weapon trafficking and murder. Even though law enforcement dealt a severe blow to the organization in 2000 with Jarosław "Masa" Sokołowski taking the stance of crown witness. Despite rumors sparked by the release of a few high-ranking members in 2017 the group has not been significantly active since, with many of the freed bosses re-arrested on subsequent charges. Remnants of the group are thought to be involved in car theft and drug distribution but retain no real influence in the area.