Fewer offences solved in the year of reform 2017

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The police and prosecution authority completed the investigation of 288 800 offences in 2017. This is 9.6 per cent fewer than in the record low year of 2016, and the drop in the number of solved offences and corresponding charges against perpetrators is even greater.

All of the 12 new police districts (see text box) completed the investigation of fewer offences in 2017 than the year before, according to the statistics on offences investigated. The decline was especially prevalent among the police districts in the eastern and southern parts of Norway.

For the country as a whole, 2017 saw major decreases in most of the new groups of offences (see text box), and there was more than a 10 per cent drop in the categories drug and alcohol offences, traffic offences and property theft, compared to the year before. Furthermore, there were 5 per cent fewer offences investigated in the category violence and maltreatment, despite the concurrent increase in violence and maltreatment reported to the police. However, the number of completed investigations of sexual offences represented a 16 per cent increase from the year before.

The low number of investigations completed by the police in 2017 was partly due to the record low number of offences reported to the police. Compared to the year before, the 2017 reduction in offences investigated is far greater than the reduction in offences reported to the police, particularly for solved offences and for offences where the perpetrator was committed for trial in the courts.

Fewer offences solved in the south-eastern police districts

In total, the 146 000 solved offences in 2017 is as much as 20 000 fewer than in 2016, and is the lowest since the mid-1990s. When taking into account the number of registered offences and the population, South-East, East and Oslo are the country’s biggest police districts. Combined, these districts had 14 400 fewer solved offences in 2017 than in the year before.

Figure 1. Offences investigated, by police decision. Absolute figures

Prosecution dropped, insufficient information about the offender Prosecution dropped, deficient evidence Prosecution dropped, deficient capasity and other unsolved Prosecution dropped, the offender not liable Transferred to Conflict Council Ticket fine Committed for trial Prosecution dropped and other solved
1998 195778 42280 5082 7680 2251 51605 73177 24242
1999 193843 44545 4372 8531 2109 56543 84165 24901
2000 199808 44253 4889 9024 2227 60830 78764 25531
2001 183762 44066 4214 9004 2272 69774 87466 25495
2002 182894 38280 7251 7894 1614 62054 77989 24068
2003 181182 40776 7998 7539 1883 64161 85101 26272
2004 169435 42718 6175 8718 2170 69839 86359 27792
2005 158296 40448 4602 9290 2624 70005 88962 24847
2006 153336 37385 4560 7974 2578 71971 82842 21797
2007 152919 37238 6663 9664 2620 75811 79794 21642
2008 147174 38562 6745 14116 2803 71941 79178 21883
2009 155804 37661 8436 8172 2737 68675 71082 21824
2010 142257 40081 9282 7838 2550 70783 74144 22967
2011 137436 39345 10185 7587 2426 68568 74957 22685
2012 139540 37706 12141 6600 2319 66960 69944 24593
2013 133482 38835 12774 6470 2381 69226 68598 25373
2014 120640 40997 13304 7148 2129 66691 70015 28401
2015 108735 40104 11237 7007 2079 66274 67131 26597
2016 100805 42141 10282 7305 2194 65032 68632 23012
2017 90282 41200 11241 7639 2147 56684 58691 20953

Among solved offences, 58 700 ended up in a court trial. This is just over 9 900 – or 14 per cent – fewer than in 2016. The number of completed investigations transferred to the courts for trial was far fewer than in any of the previous 20 years, as shown in figure 1. Furthermore, the 56 700 offences settled with a ticket fine were also significantly fewer than in all previous years, and 13 per cent fewer than in 2016.

Few thefts are solved

In total, 142 700 offences were unsolved in 2017, which is 10 500 fewer than the year before. Among the unsolved offences, 69 500 were property thefts, which is an 11 per cent drop from 2016. The 18 400 solved thefts were 12 per cent fewer than the year before, and the figure for 2017 is the lowest since the first half of the 1980s.

Lower clear-up rate

Significant parts of the increase in the total clear-up rate in the period 2012-2016 can be attributed to the decline in reported thefts, and in particular the types where prosecution is frequently dropped due to insufficient information about the offender. In 2017, however, the total clear-up rate of 50.6 per cent was significantly lower than in the previous two years.

Last year’s decline partly stems from a major decrease in the number of reported drug and alcohol and traffic offences. These are groups of offences usually reported by the police themselves, and which therefore have a high clear-up rate. However, there was a decline in the clear-up rate for most other groups of offences, especially for public order and integrity violations and violence and maltreatment.

Fewer persons charged with violence and maltreatment – also in close relations

Following the changes in penal legislation and the initial registrations of maltreatment in close relations in 2006, the annual number of reported and investigated cases of this type of violence has increased in each subsequent year. However, despite a continued increase in the number of reported cases and registered victims in 2017, the number of such offences investigated by the police fell for the first time.

In 2017, a total of 2 714 investigations of maltreatment in close relations were completed, of which 659 were considered to be solved and 535 were transferred for court trial. This resulted in 424 persons being charged with maltreatment in close relations as the principal offence. For this type of violent offence, 2017 saw a lower clear-up rate and fewer cases solved compared to 2016, as well as a corresponding decrease in the number of charges, court trials and persons charged.

Corresponding trends were seen for threats, assaults and bodily harm. All of these types of offences had a significantly lower clear-up rate compared to the year before. From the principal offence, these types of violence combined saw a 10 per cent drop in solved offences, and 9 per cent fewer persons charged.

More sexual offences against children were solved

In 2017, 1 774 different persons were charged with a total of 3 134 charges for sexual offences, which is 7 and 15 per cent more than the year before respectively.

In 2017, the police registered far more reports of sexual offences related to children and adolescents under 18 years of age. For sexual offences, 2017 saw more investigations completed and solved than in all previous years.

These developments led to a total of 1 218 charges for sexual acts and sexual intercourse with children under 16 years, which is an increase of as much as 33 per cent from the year before. From the principal offence, there was a 10 per cent increase in persons charged for these types of sexual offences against children. This increase is more moderate due to a larger share of sexual offenders in 2017 being caught for more than one offence.

Decrease in all age groups except offenders under 18

As a result of the decrease in the total number of solved offences, 2017 also saw fewer charges and charged persons, and the investigations resulted in 149 600 charges against 73 800 different persons. This is almost 12 per cent fewer charges and 8 per cent fewer persons charged than in 2016, and many of the decreasing trends from preceding years were therefore further reinforced.

Figure 2. Persons charged with offences, by age

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
5-14 years 6.73 6.57 6.21 5.34 4.39 3.89 3.19 3.38 3.07 3.17 4.29
15-17 years 39.46 37.54 33.50 30.77 27.44 24.24 24.11 22.52 20.67 20.86 22.79
18-20 years 63.74 58.52 55.92 55.29 50.76 49.80 51.00 47.20 44.10 42.26 38.18
21-24 years 52.90 48.06 45.42 44.73 42.76 41.17 42.01 40.50 38.87 37.02 32.62
25-29 years 38.36 36.05 34.89 35.42 34.55 33.34 33.91 32.13 30.89 29.58 26.48
30-39 years 27.51 26.21 25.02 25.26 25.23 25.03 25.29 24.42 24.53 24.36 21.58
40-49 years 19.40 18.93 18.60 18.71 18.42 18.32 18.14 18.36 18.42 18.64 16.93
50-59 years 10.40 10.84 10.14 10.69 10.72 10.90 11.10 11.58 11.91 12.27 11.14
60 years or older 4.10 4.01 3.76 3.96 3.95 3.99 4.05 4.13 4.38 4.56 4.19

Among the adult population, there was a big decrease in persons charged in all age groups, as shown in figure 2. For the age group 18-39 years, this means the clear trend of ten years continued in 2017. In total, 41 700 charged persons were in this age group, which is 22 per cent fewer than in 2007. However, there were fewer charged persons in the older age groups, combined with more charged persons in the youngest age groups, both of which represented a break from the development of recent years.

Shoplifting big part of the increase among youths

During the ten-year period 2007-2016, the number of persons charged in the age group 5-14 year was more than halved. In 2017, however, the 3 824 charges against the 2 740 different persons in this age group represents a 41 and 36 per cent increase from 2016 respectively.

Figure 3. Charges against persons, by age, sex and group of offences. 2017

Other offences Traffic offences Public order and integrity violations Drug and alcohol offences Sexual offences Violence and maltreatment Criminal damage Other offences for profit Property theft
5-14 years 0.2 1.4 7.5 3.9 7.0 19.9 18.3 1.4 40.6
15-17 years 0.6 14.4 10.6 20.9 4.7 17.1 5.9 2.0 23.8
18-20 years 0.5 22.7 15.1 31.4 2.6 10.4 3.2 3.4 10.7
21-24 years 0.8 19.2 17.9 32.4 1.7 10.9 2.3 5.3 9.4
25-29 years 0.8 19.7 15.7 30.6 1.2 9.7 2.2 7.7 12.3
30-39 years 1.0 21.3 15.1 27.4 1.3 9.3 1.8 7.9 14.9
40-49 years 1.5 26.2 13.9 22.2 2.4 9.0 1.5 9.4 13.9
50-59 years 2.9 32.6 14.5 19.5 1.8 8.5 1.2 8.2 10.8
60 years or older 5.0 46.8 11.1 11.8 3.0 4.8 0.8 4.7 11.9
Males 1.3 23.7 15.2 26.2 2.4 10.1 2.7 6.7 11.7
Females 1.2 19.5 11.7 22.5 0.3 9.6 1.6 7.5 26.0
Total 1.3 23.1 14.7 25.7 2.1 10.0 2.6 6.8 13.8

The offences for which the youngest offenders are charged differ significantly from those of the older offenders – as illustrated by figure 3. For example, the charges for theft from a shop make up as much as one third of all charges in the age group 5-14 years, and one fifth of all charges among offenders aged 15-17 years. Last year’s increase in children and adolescents caught for theft from shops thus corresponds to more than the entire increase in charges and persons charged within this age group, as well as 40 per cent of the increase in the age group 5-14 years.

In absolute numbers, the largest increases in charged persons under 15 years were seen in Akershus, Rogaland and Hordaland counties. With 6 persons charged per 1 000 population, Rogaland had the second largest share of offenders aged 5-14 years after Oslo, where 7 persons were charged per 1 000 population.

New police districts from 1 January 2016

On 1 January 2016, Norwegian police were organised into new regional districts, where 27 police districts were reduced to 12. The implementation of the new districts will be executed gradually during the course of 2017 and 2018, but as of 2016, Statistics Norway will only release statistics by the new police districts in StatBank.

The new police districts are mainly organised by merging the former districts. However, in the new organisation, the former Midtre Hålogaland PD is divided by the county border between new Nordland PD and Troms PD. For a detailed overview of the new police districts, including their relation to municipalities, see Statistical Classifications and Code Lists and About the statistics.

New statistics with new classification of offences 2002-2017

Statistics Norway is now releasing statistics according to the new Standard for types of offence. Types of offence 2015 was drawn up as a consequence of the penal code of 2005 and the new police codes for registering offences coming into effect on 1 October 2015. The standard includes new groupings of both Type of offence and Group of offence, while the offence categories crime and misdemeanour have been discontinued. The new classification of offences is available in StatBank for figures dating back to 2002. The old classification is still available for figures from all years up until 2014. A detailed overview, including how this corresponds to the police codes for offences, is now available in Statistical Classifications and Code Lists.

The 2015 changes to penal legislation, offence registration and crime classification cause partial breaks in the time series that use types of offence. These changes affect the different crime statistics and types of offences in different ways, and make the use and interpretation of these statistics more challenging.

 

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