Prague, June 26 (CTK) – The number of criminal acts has been decreasing since the last regional elections in the Czech Republic in 2012 as the police only recorded roughly 248,000 of them last year, which was 56,000 fewer than in 2012, according to the information available to CTK.
Crime only rose in 2013, which was due to the amnesty declared by former president Vaclav Klaus, the police say.
The clear-up rate increased to 50.9 percent last year. When it comes to the number of criminal acts per 1,000 population, the situation is the worst in the Usti and Liberec regions, both of which are located in north Bohemia.
In the former, there were 21,061 criminal acts last year, which was on average 25.58 per 1,000 population.
In the past four years, the regional police dealt with some causes celebre such as the murder of Roman Houska, an influential official of the Social Democrats (CSSD), and the suspicion that a nurse murdered several patients.
The regional police also focus on drug dealing and distribution, having established the special Toxi team with 50 detectives.
In the neighbouring Liberec Region, the police recorded 11,154 criminal acts, which was on average 25.4 per 1,000 population. Tens of new police officers have been recruited in the region since 2013 and now their number has reached 1,308.
However, although the regional authorities want to have a full-fledged regional court, there is only its branch in the town. Regional politicians have been demanding its establishment for over ten years. Though backed by President Milos Zeman, the government and parliament have refused to form it.
There is no regional court in the Karlovy Vary Region, too. In the long run, there has been the highest clear-up rate of criminal acts in it.
In the past four years, it fluctuated between 68 and almost 73 percent. As a region neighbouring with the German federal states Bavaria and Saxony, it is plagued with the manufacturing of drugs that are largely distributed in Germany.
In some areas, the police corps does not have enough policemen. This is the case of the northern part of the Plzen Region, where a refugee facility was to be opened in the village of Balkova.
Central Bohemia is short of 164 police officers.
The least, 13.2 criminal acts per 1,000 population were recorded in the Pardubice Region last year. It was closely followed by the Vysocina and Zlin regions.
When it comes to security, the worst situation is in Prague. Last year, 64,095 criminal acts occurred there, but the police only cleared up one-fourth of them.
Number of criminal acts per 1,000 population in Czech regions in 2015
Region Number of criminal acts/1000 population
Central Bohemia 19.26
South Bohemia 19.8
Plzen 18.26
Karlovy Vary 19.28
Usti 25.58
Liberec 25.4
Hradec Kralove 15.55
Pardubice 13.2
Vysocina 13.51
South Moravia 20.28
Olomouc 19.9
Zlin 13.6
Moravia-Silesia 24.95
Source: Czech police and Czech Statistical Office (CSU)
