Political

Crime and the level of internal security in Ukraine: two views on one problem

The level of internal security in the state is an important factor that affects the stability, development and well-being of citizens. Ensuring safety for people has been one of the main priorities since ancient times, and this process has come a long way, adapting to constant changes.

Back in the Stone Age, when people were hunters and gatherers, security was directly related to their physical survival. They used simple tools and weapons to protect themselves from wild animals, other tribes, and their internal enemies. Later, with the advent of agriculture and a settled lifestyle, they began to improve their weapons and implement security measures for homes. The first gun using gunpowder was invented by the Chinese in the 6th century for the purpose of protection against enemies, they called it ho-pao. It had a spherical shape and was similar to a modern grenade. To use it, it was enough to set the ball on fire and throw it either from a catapult or from your hands. In addition to ho-pao, there were also “fire hawks”, “fire thorns”, “black dragons”. In 1320, the “modfu” began to be used – the first firearm, the design of which was too simple: an iron tube attached to a handle, which fired a round metal projectile – a bondo-com (translated from the Arabic language – nut), it consisted of a powdery mixture saltpetre, coal and sulfur, was ignited through the seed hole with a hot rod. By the way, the first gunpowder was invented by the Chinese alchemist and physician Sun Simiao in the 7th century.

With the development of civilization and technology, security became even more complex – in the Middle Ages, for example, more sophisticated defense systems were developed, including castles and various types of weapons. This period also saw the development of early forms of espionage and intelligence, showing people’s understanding of the importance of information to ensure their security. The Industrial Revolution brought new technologies that changed people’s approach to security and fighting crime. In today’s digital era, ensuring security has become even more difficult – the Internet and digital technologies have created new opportunities for the development of crime, in particular, cybercrime and cyberespionage.

So, crime has always existed, it is eternal, because it appeared in people’s lives at the same time as the people themselves, who were always in a hostile environment. From simple tools of the Stone Age to modern digital technologies, people have always looked for ways to protect themselves from various threats. And although the forms and methods of ensuring security are constantly changing, the main goal remains unchanged – to protect and ensure their survival and well-being.

In 1943, the American psychologist, the founder of humanistic psychology, Abraham Maslow, researching the factors that influence human behavior, divided them into five categories and placed them in a defined hierarchy. In this pyramid, security occupies one of the key places, because the absence of threats to vital interests – life, health and well-being – is its basic need. This means that until a person feels safe, he cannot properly take care of other higher-order needs – social and spiritual.

Internal security is the basis for the stability of any state, its absence always leads to political, economic and social problems. The Law of Ukraine “On National Security of Ukraine” defines its components – state, public, informational, ecological, economic, transport, energy security and personal security. In addition, it was emphasized that national interests are vital interests of man, society and the state. Among the fundamental national interests of Ukraine, the sustainable development of civil society and the state to ensure the growth of the level and quality of life of the population is also defined.

How is the internal security of the population ensured in Ukraine according to the reports of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

As you know, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is part of the security sector of our country. In order to implement the National Security Strategy of Ukraine, it should develop the Public Security and Civil Protection Strategy of Ukraine, as well as the Concept of the Security Environment.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko emphasized this, saying:

“The Strategy of Public Safety and Civil Defense of Ukraine and the Concept of the Security Environment in Ukraine for 2023-2026 are one of the important strategic guidelines of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”.

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On the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine On November 6, 2023, an announcement was made about the start of the preparation of the Public Security and Civil Defense Strategy of Ukraine, the purpose of which should be “achieving a balance between the interests of the state, society and the rights and freedoms of man and citizen while ensuring public security and civil defense during the period of the legal regime” martial law and in the reconstruction period after the end of hostilities in accordance with the practice of democratic European states”.

Currently, the Strategy remains at the development stage. Along with this, there is the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated December 23, 2022 “On conducting a review of public safety and civil protection”, the purpose of which is “to assess modern and prospective threats vital to the state, society and the interests, rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen, to develop an effective model of combating crime and other illegal encroachments”. What the results of this review are, if any, is unknown.

According to the reports of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, measures are constantly being taken in the country to ensure internal security and fight against crime. In March 2022, the adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Gerashchenko, stated during a telethon that the level of crime in Ukraine had decreased to almost zero during the war.

In September 2023, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko emphasized, that the level of crime in Ukraine decreased to 15% during the war, but at the same time there is an increase in the number of fraud cases.

At the same time, the head of the National Police of Ukraine, Ivan Vyhovskyi, claims that the level of crime has not increased during the two years of full-scale war in Ukraine, but the number of serious and especially serious crimes has increased, while street crime has decreased.

Street crime has decreased in almost all regions. As for the total number of crimes, it has increased, including the registration of serious and especially serious crimes. This is explained, firstly, due to changes in legislation. Previously, simple thefts were classified as minor crimes, but now they are classified as committed in wartime, and are already seriousVyhovskyi said.

In January 2024, during the final meeting on the results of the work in 2023, Deputy Head of the National Police Andriy Nebytov reported that the level of crime in the country in certain areas had significantly decreased compared to the pre-war period, in particular, murders decreased by 15.8%, robberies – by 19.3%, robberies by 21.8%.

“National police units solved 99% of intentional murders, almost 99% of all serious bodily injuries with fatal consequences, more than 96% of rapes. Positive dynamics are also observed in the fight against property crimes. 87 indictments against organized criminal groups and organizations have been sent to court”Nebitov said.

Therefore, despite the lack of program documents in the form of a strategy and concept, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine declares that the situation with crime in the state is maintained at an appropriate level, the war has almost not affected its indicators.

How do foreign countries assess the state of crime in Ukraine?

Currently, there are a large number of ratings of countries that are safe for living and tourism, which provide research results based on a huge list of criteria. Yes, recently Numbeo – the site, which has created the world’s most informative database on the quality of life, published the rating of the most criminal European cities according to the crime index. Out of a total of 127 cities, 30 were included, of which 5 are Ukrainian: Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lviv. At the same time, Dnipro and Odesa took 1st and 2nd places, respectively, Kharkiv was in 5th place, the capital of Ukraine – in 8th place, and Lviv – took 13th place.

According to World Population Review analysts, as of 2023 (for 2024, there is no information yet), the largest number of crimes was committed in the following countries:

  • Venezuela (83.76 crimes per 100 thousand population);
  • Papua New Guinea (80.79 crimes per 100 thousand population);
  • South Africa (76.87 crimes per 100 thousand population).
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In this rating, Ukraine took 57th place out of 136 countries with a rate of 47.42 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. As the authors of the study explain, the high level of poverty and unemployment increase the level of crime in the country. Conversely, strict laws and police control of crime tend to reduce it. That is why one of the lowest levels of crime in the world is observed in Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Japan and New Zealand. Each of these countries has very effective law enforcement agencies, and Denmark, Norway, and Japan have some of the strictest gun laws in the world.

In 2022, Global Risk Assessment analysts recognized Ukraine as one of the most dangerous countries in the world, which, of course, is also related to the military operations on its territory launched by the Russian Federation. At the same time, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and a number of other countries, mostly European, were recognized as the safest countries in the world.

According to The Independent, citing the results of a new study that determined the level of dangerous and safe countries in the world in 2024, Ukraine was among the most dangerous countries. As the researchers note, this is due to the fact that the state is a zone of active hostilities, but the level of internal security and crime also play an important role in this.

The consulting company International SOS has created an interactive map that informs about potential threats in different countries of the world. The measurement was carried out in four dimensions of risk: medical, security, related to climate change and those affecting people’s mental health.  It turned out that Ukraine (together with Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Somalia) received the highest warning level – “extreme” according to the “security” risk parameter.

In addition, sociologists of the Institute of Economy and Peace with the assistance of the Center for the Study of Conflicts, which operates on the basis of the Australian University of Sydney, annually compile a list of the safest countries in the world. Ukraine is not in it either this year or in previous years.

In the Global Peace Index rating, Iceland has been recognized as the safest state in the world for many years, where the crime rate is almost zero (one murder per year). Ukraine is not included in this ranking either.

According to the Legatum Prosperity Index, the rating of the most dangerous countries is opened by Denmark, which is due to the low degree of corruption in politics and business (in 2021, it took the first position in the Corruption Perceptions Index rating). It was compiled on the basis of such indicators as personal freedom of citizens, investment environment, development of internal and external markets, infrastructure, quality and safety of life, health care and education systems, environmental situation, purchasing power. In this rating, as in others, Ukraine is not classified as one of the most dangerous countries.

Therefore, the internal security of the country depends on many factors, but the key ones are:

  • the level of crime: the higher its indicators, the more dangerous the country is considered to be;
  • war status: is the country currently at war;
  • terrorist attacks: their frequency and scale;
  • stability and efficiency of the government: the stability of the government and its competent decisions affect both external and internal security.

Only the implementation of effective comprehensive measures to ensure the internal security of the country, the study of current threats and challenges from the side of crime, the development of an effective strategy for the actions of law enforcement agencies, and most importantly – its implementation, are the key to a dangerous life for Ukrainians. And in this process, the key factors should be effective legislation and strict compliance with its requirements not only by citizens, but also by the state leadership, which currently applies the principle of selective enforcement.

Oksana Ishchenko

 

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