Crime in Slovenia in 2021

Abstract

This article presents data on crimes investigated by the Slovenian police in 2021, as well as changes and factors that affected the work of the police. The statistical data include only crimes known to the police, i.e., reported and detected criminal offences. In 2021, the key activities of the Slovenian police for the prevention, detection and investigation of crime were directed at serious and organized types of crime, especially crimes against the most protected human rights and freedoms, crimes involving extensive material damage or illegal financial gain, illegal migration, illegal drugs and cybercrime. The police investigated 44,257 criminal acts for which they filed a criminal complaint or a report to supplement a criminal complaint, which is the least number in the last ten years. This continues the decline in the number of investigated crimes that began in 2014. The percentage of successfully investigated criminal offences has been increasing since 2018, which was 54.6% in 2021. The proportion of crimes discovered also increased and amounted to 20.9% in 2021, representing the highest proportion in the last decade. The largest share in the structure of crime is traditionally represented by general crime, accounting for almost 85% of all crime, while the remaining 15% are economic crimes. Organized crime represents 0.7% of all criminal offences, while crime committed by juvenile offenders accounted for 2% of all crime. Certain methodological changes were introduced in 2018, which affected individual data, as they are not the same as the data provided in previous annual reports. These changes do not affect their comparability. For the second year in a row, the emergence of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) had a significant impact on the perception of public safety and security, and thus on the work of the police. Aware of the international dimensions of crime and the global factors that influence it, the police invested much effort in international cooperation and strengthening relations with partner countries both within the region and beyond.