Crime in Poland in the 1990s
| Author | Affiliation |
|---|---|
Jasinski, Jerzy | Polish Academy of Science, Institute of Legal Studies |
Lietuvos teisÄs universitetas |
| Date |
|---|
1999 |
PraneÅ¡ime apÅŸvelgiamas nusikalstamumas Lenkijoje deÅ¡imtajame deÅ¡imtmetyje. Å i problema nagrinÄjama trimis skirtingais, bet tarpusavyje susijusiais aspektais: policijos uÅŸregistruoti nusikaltimai, neuÅŸregistruoti nusikaltimai ir visuomenÄs poÅŸiÅ«ris į nusikalstamumÄ . Aptariamos nusikaltimų pagal daÅŸnumÄ rÅ«Å¡ys ir nusikalstamumo pokyÄiai pereinamuoju laikotarpiu (smurtinių, ekonominių ir organizuotų nusikaltimų daugÄjimas). Kiekvienu atveju pateikiama informacija apie prieinamus duomenis ir tų duomenų rinkimo metodologiniai skirtumai komunistinÄje ir postkomunistinÄje sistemose. Å ie skirtumai svarbÅ«s, nes jų neÅŸinant galima neteisingai interpretuoti nusikalstamumo tendencijas. PraneÅ¡ime taip pat nagrinÄjamas ÅŸiniasklaidos vaidmuo informuojant visuomenÄ apie nusikalstamumÄ ir saugumÄ . Pateikiami ir daugelio vieÅ¡osios nuomonÄs apie nusikalstamumÄ ir saugumo svarbÄ apklausti rezultatai.
The paper is an appraisal of crime in Poland in the 1990s. Crime in Poland is looker at from three different though related perspectives: crime known to the police, unrecorded crime and attitudes of citizens towards crime. The paper discusses the types of crime in terms of prevalence and how it has changed during the period of political and economic transition (e.g. growth of violent crime, spread of economic offences, increase in the activity of organized crime). Each of the three perspectives is also described in terms of data available and from the point of view of methodological differences in the way the data were collected before and after the fall of communism. These differences are important as otherwise they may lead misinterpretations of crime trends. Furthermore, the paper provides a discussion of the role of media in shaping citizens' attitudes towards crime and their perceptions of safety. The paper also discusses the results of numerous public opinion surveys about the relative importance of safety and crime versus other problems facing Poland.