Crime in Slovenia in 2023

Abstract

This article presents data on crimes investigated by the Slovenian police in 2023, as well as factors that affected the work of the police, and includes only crimes known to the police, i.e., reported and detected criminal offences. The priorities of the police are defined in the medium-term plan for the development and work of the police, 2023-2027, the annual plan for the work of the police for 2023 and other strategic documents. Above all, this was the prevention of all forms of violence. In the field of crime, the focus was on the investigation of serious and organized forms of crime, with the National Bureau of Investigation playing an important role. Proper management of unauthorized migration and the legal and professional exercise of police powers, while respecting human rights and dignity, were also among the priorities. Special emphasis was placed on (digital) support for police work. In 2023, the police dealt with 54,344 criminal offences, for which they filed a criminal complaint or a report to supplement the criminal complaint, which is below the ten-year average of 59,179. The investigation rate of criminal offences was 51.4%, and in the last ten years it was 50.7%, and the number of investigated crimes is mainly influenced by the number of general crimes, where property crimes account for the largest share. After several years of decline, the negative trend curve turned upward in 2022, and in 2023 the number of crimes reached the pre-COVID-19 epidemic level. A similar trend is also observed in the treatment of economic crime. The structure of crime or of shares of individual forms of criminal offences is relatively consolidated, with individual deviations and fluctuations over the years. At 85.0%, general crime continues to represent the largest share of all crimes, the remaining 15.0% of crimes are economic crimes. In the overall structure of crime, organized crime represents 1.6% of all criminal offences, its share being the largest in the last ten years, and crime committed by juvenile offenders is increasing in the medium term and represents 2.9% of all crime.