Crime in Slovenia in 2022

Abstract

This article presents data on crimes investigated by the Slovenian police in 2022, as well as 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. The priorities of the police are defined in the medium-term plan for the development and work of the police 2018-2022, the annual plan for the work of the police for 2022 and other strategic documents. Above all, this was the prevention of domestic violence, femicide and peer violence. In the field of economic crime, the focus was on the investigation of corruption, in which the National Bureau of Investigation plays an important role. Proper management of illegal migration and the legal and professional exercise of police powers, while respecting human rights and dignity, were also among the priorities. In 2022, the police investigated 49,836 criminal offences, for which they filed a criminal complaint or a report to supplement the criminal complaint, which is slightly more than in the previous year, which was otherwise specific due to COVID-19. Nevertheless, the number of investigated crimes in 2022 is still below the ten-year average, thus continuing a long-term trend of a decrease 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, and has decreased slightly to 53.6%, in 2022. The proportion of crimes known to the police continued to increase to 22.6% in 2021, representing the highest proportion in the last decade. Structures of crime and shares of individual forms of crime are relatively consolidated with individual deviations and fluctuations over the years. General crime thus traditionally represents the largest share of crime, and amounted to 84.4% of all crimes in 2022, while the remaining 15.5% of crimes are economic crimes, and organised crime represents 1% of total crime. Crimes committed by juvenile offenders accounted for 2.4% of all crimes. The entry of the Republic of Croatia into the Schengen area will very likely affect the dynamics and forms of crime. The Slovenian police constantly monitors and analyses the situation on the border with Croatia, as well as the wider Western Balkans, which directly affect the situation on the border. All police measures have been and will be adapted to the security situation even after Croatia's entry into the Schengen area to ensure the safety of Slovenia and prevent illegal migration, including measures permitted by Schengen rules.