0
0
The situation with drug-related crimes partly refutes the thesis that the War ‘cut’ all indicators of crime statistics. The number of many crimes stated in numerous Chapters of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which was registered in March 2022, decreased sharply for completely understandable reasons. Many types of crimes that might have been expected to increase after the start of the 2022 Moscovian military invasion saw a sharp drop.
Nevertheless, it appeared that drugs, drug offenders (especially petty offenders) and drug-related crimes (especially minor crimes) were absolutely another matter.
In 2022, more than 34 thousand drug-related crimes were registered in wartime Ukraine (34398 criminal proceedings in general, 22678 criminal proceedings with given notifications of suspicion).
No less interesting is the fact that the ratio between the general number of registered criminal proceedings and criminal proceedings with given notifications of suspicion in 2022 appeared one of the highest for the last ten years (the exclusion is 2016 with ratio 1,66).
It could also be noted that in 2022, the general number of criminal proceedings in minor drug-related offences and minor drug-related crimes increased. At the same time, the general number of criminal proceedings in grave and special grave drug-related offences decreased, but not significantly.
In contrast, in 2024, the general number of criminal proceedings in minor drug-related offences and minor drug-related crimes increased insignificantly. At the same time, the general number of criminal proceedings in grave and special grave drug-related offences increased (14806 crimes in 2023, 21713 in 2024).
Here, we would like to draw some conclusions.
The 2022 crime statistics demonstrate that 34398 drug-related crimes have already been committed in 2022. In 2023, the police registered 39124 drug-related crimes. In 2024, the police registered 48233 drug-related crimes.
The importance of the fight against drug crime cannot be underestimated.
However, the main question here is: does the National Police of Ukraine effectively manage its personnel’s potential under wartime conditions?
The question is on the surface: drug-related crimes are mostly the crimes of peacetime. Considering closed borders, border checks, curfews and roadblocks, the number of registered drug-related crimes should theoretically have decreased, not the other way around.
It appears that the mechanism of an artificial ‘market’ for drug-related crimes, where criminals are very commonly victims at the same time, and where police officers know who, where and under what conditions will commit the next ‘crime’, ‘should not stand idle’ even during the War.
Average Rating