Crime in Latvia is relatively low, by global standards, especially compared to previous years, when it was named the "crime capital of Europe" byForbes[1] in 2008. Thehomicide rate inLatvia was 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020,[2]a sharp drop from 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2000,[3] and has been steadily decreasing.[4] Although Latvia'a homicide rate is high byEuropean Union standards,[2] it is below the world average of 6.2 per 100.000 (in 2019).[5] TheUnited States Department of State has assessed Latvia's security rating as "medium",[6] with a moderate crime rate. In recent times, crime has been increasing, particularly due to many Latvians stranded because of theCOVID-19 pandemic returning to Latvia and choosing to commit crime.[7] According toInterpol, Latvia is considered an attractive place for regional and organized criminals involved indrug trafficking,arms trafficking,human trafficking, orsmuggling.[8] According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, a third of all women in Latvia have suffered some form ofsexual violence orrape, while men are subjected to violence outside the family.[9]
Crime had seen massive increases in Latvia after the restoration of independence after the end of theSoviet occupation.[10] The market transition from aplanned economy to afree market-economy caused great social uncertainty in Latvia, and the crime rates rose.[11] The Latvian government defines crime as "an action endangering society and entailing criminal punishment whether committed intentionally or through negligence".[12] Crimes in Latvia have also been committed by other nations, likeNazi Germany and theSoviet Union during their respective occupations of Latvia in1940 and1941.[13]
The main types of crime common in Latvia includehuman trafficking,motor vehicle theft, andcorruption.[14] Other crimes are also listed below.
The robbery rate in Latvia in 2018 was 27.7 cases per 100,000, a decrease from 108.3 cases per 100,000 people in 2004.[15] Over the two years ranging from 2018-2020, at least 10 warehouses of trading and production have been said to be robbed.[16]
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 | 46.00 | 46.00 | 41.00 | 40.00 | 31.00 |
In 2020, a study conducted byEurostat revealed that the threeBaltic states had the highest homicide rates in the European Union in that year, with the homicide rate of Latvia being 4.9 per 100,000 people, followed by Lithuania (3.5) and Estonia (2.8).Latvia also had the highest proportion of women as homicide victims among EU countries (60%, compared to an EU average of 37%).[18]
According toEuronews, Latvia, along withItaly and theUnited Kingdom, have the worst rankings in drug usage.[19] The most common illicit drug used by Latvians iscannabis,[20][21] used by young adults aged 15–34, and specifically by males.Cocaine andecstasy are also commonly used by Latvians.Drug trafficking is also common in Latvia.[22]
Originally, in the 1970s and 80s, drugs were produced at home, but from the 1990s onward, organized crime started manufacturing illegally-produced drugs,[23] likeLSD,ecstasy,cocaine andamphetamines. However, very few people are willing to take medicine for it.
Corruption is considered a serious issue in Latvia.Transparency International gave Latvia 42 out of a rank of 180 in corruption in 2020,[24] an increase by 2 places compared to 2019.[25] TheCorruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) is the main anti-corruption agency in Latvia. In a report byReuters, that formerBank of Latvia GovernorIlmārs Rimšēvičs had been detained in prison for accepting a bribe of 500,000euro bribe from Latvian bankTrasta Komercbanka.[26] Frequently, people from other countries, likeRussia, have money laundering schemes based in Latvia.[27]
Organized crime in Latvia is common, particularly due to Latvia's position in the European continent.[14] Illegal immigration, human trafficking, and corruption are problems that organized crime groups in Latvia take advantage of frequently. As of 2014, 70 organized crime groups operate in Latvia.[28]
Illegal immigration is common issue in Latvia. The main origin countries of illegal immigrants areRussia,Belarus,Ukraine, andMoldova, and from as far asIraq,Iran,Bangladesh,Vietnam, andAfghanistan.[29] Latvia, along withLithuania andPoland, claims thatBelarus has been using illegal immigrants from war-torn countries likeIraq as a way to pressure theEuropean Union into lifting its sanctions on Belarus, and as such has declared a state of emergency along theBelarus–Latvia border.[30]
There were 665 refugees in Latvia in 2019, 237,966 migrants, and 181 new asylum applications in 2019;[31] in 2021, Latvia revealed it had detained 1,000 migrants, mostly fromIraq,Afghanistan and otherMiddle Eastern countries along theBelarus-Latvia border.[32]
The Latvian State Police (Latvijas Valsts policija, VP) is the official national police agency of Latvia. It is also helped by international policing organizations it is a member of, likeInterpol andEuropol. Latvia is also a signatory to the terms of theTreaty of Lisbon, which ensures that all EU member states allow free right ofimmigration,asylum, and are expected to work together to combat crime.[33] In September 2014, Latvian police participated in "Operation Archimedes", an effort organized byEuropol to hunt down a cargo train sending stolen cars toTajikistan.[14]