Lithuanian Crime Prevention Strategies: Urban Safety & Police Role

1. Ankara (Turkey)26 September, 2008 LEONARDO DA VINCI PILOT PROJECT NO. 2006-I/06/B/F/PP-154164“POLIFORME – Cognizance profile construction for neighbourhood police officers”

2. Crime prevention, Partnership working, role of Police in the field of Urban Safety: Lithuanian experience Associate professor dr. Aurelijus Gutauskas Mykolas Romeris University Law Faculty Criminal Law Department Head of Criminal Justice Department Law Institute of Lithuania

3. Territory 65 300 sq.km Population 3 366 200 Capital Vilnius Government Parliamentary republic Religion Roman Catholic Ethnic composition Lithuanians 81,3 % Russians 8,2 % Polish 6,9 % Others 3,6 %

4. CRIME TRENDS IN LITHUANIA • Registered crime changes: • 37 056 crimes – 1990 • 72 646 crimes – 2002 • 89 815 crimes – 2005 • 82 155 crimes – 2006 • 73 741 crimes – 2007 • Detected crimes: more then 40%; • Registered crimes: • Urban areas – 72,8% • Rural areas – 27,2%; • Registered crimes by object of attempt: • Against property – 76,6% • Public security and order – 8,5% • Life, health, freedom – 3,9%.

5. Lithuania has been under Russian rule for two hundreds years since 1795 with a short period of independence from 1918 to 1940 History

6. We had a huge Russian influence in many social spheres, crime not to be an exception. While on the other hand we did not experience much Western influence due to the “iron curtain” being held over the Eastern Europe.

7. Crime prevention in Lithuania is understood as a complex of measures to stop crime by eliminating conditions for their commitment. Working definition -1

8. The Law on Police Activities provides for understanding of partnership working as a collaboration of police with governmental and municipal institutions in implementing crime prevention programs and efforts of police to involve NGOs and local residents into crime prevention activities. Working definition -2

9. The article 2.1 of Law on Police Activity (it was enacted on 17th October 2000/ No.VIII-2048 and was replaced the Act of Police) describes, that “Police” is the totality of police bodies and officers ensuring personal, public safety and public order.

10. There are no laws or regulations adopted in Lithuania concerning crime prevention activities. Existing legal framework - 1

11. The Law on Police Activities sets that police is obliged to develop wider collaboration with other social actors. Existing legal framework - 2

12. Lithuanian police system is fixed in the Law on Police Activity (2000/No. VIII – 2048). Article 11 points, that the police system shall consist of: 1. The Police Department at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Police Department). 2. Territorial police bodies. 3. Police professional training institutions. 4. Specialized police bodies. Existing legal framework - 3

13. Actors- 1 Although the Law on Police Activities sets crime prevention to be one of the major tasks of the police, however in tasks of the police, however in practice it is being estimated that local police officers can spend not more than 15 percent of their workload on prevention issues.

14. Actors- 2 Collaboration between police and municipalities is rapidly increasing, however taking mostly the form of funding afforded by municipalities to different crime prevention projects.

15. Actors- 3 • The main policing institution is the Lithuanian Police: • - The Police Department • - The Police Commissioner General; The management system of Police Department shows, that there are two types of police: • - Criminal Police • - Public Police

16. Brief Background - 1 • The need to strengthen crime prevention efforts is being constantly declared in official documents adopted by the Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania it lacks attention in practice.

17. Brief Background - 2 Police forces in Lithuania show much eagerness in collaboration with other social actors.

18. Article 5 of Law on Police Activity (2000/VIII-2048) set up the following police tasks: Protection of human rights and freedoms. Ensuring of public order and public safety. Rendering of emergency assistance to persons when it is necessary because of their physical or mental helplessness, as well as to persons who have suffered from criminal acts, other violations of law, natural calamities or similar acts. Prevention of criminal acts and other violations of law. Detection and investigation of criminal acts and other violations of law. Control of traffic safety. Brief Background - 3

19. Future opportunities - 1 Regional police agencies throughout Lithuania lay much effort to increase of the safer neighbourhoods movement.

20. Future opportunities - 2 • Police actively search for ways to establish contacts with local residents. Once of important forms of contact establishment is meetings with local communities.

21. Future opportunities - 3 • In 2006 the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania has adopted the Program for Development of the Lithuanian Police system.

22. The experience shows that number of thefts and burglaries is rapidly decreasing in the neighborhoods where safer neighborhoods groups have been established. Evaluation - 1

23. Thank you for your attention! • E-mails • agutas@mruni.lt • aurelijus@teise.org