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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Rising Percentages of Crimes Noted in Russia
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Joint Publications Research Service, July 2, 1991
Law and Order: Rising Percentages for Specific Crimes Noted
</hdr>
<body>
<p>By Aleksey Chernyshev: "Living With an Axe Under the Pillow",
[Moscow, Soyuz in Russian, No. 10, Mar 91, p. 9]
</p>
<p> It had been expected for the first time in many years the
number of crimes broke the postwar record. It appears that it
will not be long until detective films die out as a movie
genre; our streets and courtyards will have become the scene of
vicious robberies and cruel murders, and today's legendary
"black cat" will, in comparison with the hit squads of brazen
racketeers, seem like little friends of the militia.
</p>
<p> In 1990 internal affairs and procuratorial organs
investigated over four million complaints and crime reports. A
total of 2,786,605 crimes were reported, or 13.2 percent more
than the year before. Upon closer inspection this dry
statistical data prompts, quite frankly, a mass of emotions, and
definitely not of the most joyous kind. Until recently we
preferred to illustrate all the horrors of crime with examples
drawn from American life, modestly failing to mention our own
accomplishments in this field. Well, the time has come to share
our own achievements; according to official figures, a murder or
attempted murder is committed in our country every 20 minutes,
a serious bodily injury every 10 minutes, a rape every 23
minutes, and a burglary, robbery or violent robbery every 19
seconds...
</p>
<p> An increase in crime has been observed in every union
republic, particularly in Armenia (up 43.9 percent), Estonia
(up 24.4 percent), Lithuania (up 18.6 percent), Latvia (up 16.9
percent) and Kirghizia (up 16.1 percent).
</p>
<p> The social background of criminals arrested is also very
interesting; 13.8 percent of them are women, and 16 percent are
minors. As to be expected according to the immortal theory that
working class is ahead here as well--the share of the total
number of convicted criminals held by the leader is 52.3
percent, with kolkhoz members lagging far behind with 5.7
percent, as are persons with no specific employment at 71.2
percent of the total. Typically, the lion's share of those
arrested (43.8 percent) committed their crimes at a fairly
adult age, 30 years old or older.
</p>
<p> Against the general backdrop of rising crime rates the
greatest increase was observed in lawbreaking connected with
means of transportation (by 27.7 percent), and in those areas
there was also observed an epidemic increase in thefts of state
and public property, the number of which increased by 70.5
percent as compared to 1989. With a little bit of imagination
based on crime statistics one can even identify the average
statistical Soviet criminal; most often a man, a blue-collar
worker, over the age of 30, dealing in transportation-related
crimes, poorly organized and moderately corrupt.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>