site.btaInterior Ministry Credits Video Surveillance System for Crime Reduction

Interior Ministry Credits Video Surveillance System for Crime Reduction

Sofia, September 3 (BTA) - The still high unemployment levels in some parts of the country, as well as the concentration of people in the large cities and the steady depopulation of small and outlying settlements, are among the factors determining the state of crime in Bulgaria, the Interior Ministry writes in an analysis on the first half of 2015.

After a video surveillance system became operational in central Sofia and some of the larger cities and resort complexes, crime levels have declined, the Ministry reports. Video surveillance systems, controlled remotely by desk officers at police departments, are now in place in 57 settlements, including 32 villages, the analysis specified.

In order to increase police presence, especially in small and outlying settlements, the Interior Ministry has reviewed the options for an optimum deployment of personnel vested with police powers. As a result of an optimization of the police roster duty system, an additional 307 officers have been relocated to small and outlying settlements.

The crime rate in the first half of 2015 was 753.5 criminal offences per 100,000 population, down 69.2 offences from the like period of last year, the Ministry said.

The crime rate is above the national average in the administrative regions of Sofia City, Vratsa, Varna, Bourgas, Pleven, Vidin, Kyustendil, Sofia Region, Pernik, Dobrich, Sliven and Stara Zagora. The clearance rate in the January-June period increased by 6.3 percentage points, year on year, the analysis states.

Crime decreased in most regions compared to the first half of 2014, the steepest decline being in the regions of Rousse, Sliven, Plovdiv, Dobrich and Pleven. The crime rate in the capital city dropped by 10.6 per cent.

An analysis of recorded crime statistics in the first half of 2015 shows that most offences (some 65.8 per cent) tend to be committed in the regional capitals and in the cities.

A total of 29,270 crime perpetrators have been detected. Most of them (38 per cent) are aged between 18 and 30. Those aged between 14 and 18 are 8.4 per cent, and those aged under 14, 2.6 per cent.

Intentional homicides increased by 20 per cent, compared to the same period of last year. Fifty five of the recorded intentional homicides have been solved, representing 65.5 per cent of all cases, the clearance rate increasing substantially from 24.3 per cent in January-June 2014.

Frauds registered an increase of 21.2 per cent, and telephone frauds tend to be steadily improving and diversifying their schemes and modus operandi, the Interior Ministry points out.

The Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime carried out 25 specialized operations, of which 17 were implemented jointly with other Interior Ministry services and foreign partners.

The Directorate is monitoring 277 organized crime groups with 1,319 members, who commit offences in Bulgaria and abroad.

Seventeen crime groups with 82 members have been dismantled, of which one in the Netherlands, engaged in human trafficking, and one in Sudan, producing amphetamines, the Ministry reports.