The meeting of the European Crime Prevention Network, EUCPN, in Hämeenlinna aims to promote best practices to reduce e.g. crimes involving property and violent offences that the EU citizens face in their everyday lives.  The establishment of the network in 2001 was one of the first steps in the development of the EU crime prevention policy.

This year, the operating conditions have improved because the new funding programme for crime prevention has offered more opportunities for project finance.

Homicides are a problem in Finland

In Finland, the risk of becoming a victim of crime is usually among the lowest in Europe. This applies to crimes against individuals, such as robberies and burglaries, and to corruption or terrorism aimed at society in more general terms. Especially crime involving property has fallen significantly in Finland in the past decades.

However, serious violence is a problem in Finland. Our homicide rate is 2.5 times higher than that of other West European countries.

Finnish violence is characterised by a strong connection with heavy drinking. At its most common, a  homicide consists of violence among a drinking party in which both the person carrying out the deed and the victim are under a strong influence of alcohol.

The connection between alcohol and serious violence is shown by the reduction of the alcohol tax in 2004 and its consequences. Finland reduced the tax on especially spirits to keep private imports from abroad under control. The result was a sharp rise in the number of homicides, although fortunately only in the short term.

Finland has been active in driving the alcohol issue to be included on the EU agenda. A national programme for reducing violence has also been prepared in Finland. The purpose of the programme is to reduce especially violence that has serious consequences.

Next year, the focus of the programme will be on violence against children and young people, which is estimated to be as widespread as violence against women.

Prevention of alcohol-related crime is the theme of the conference

The theme of the conference to be held in Hämeenlinna on 27-28 November is the prevention of violence, crime and disturbance related to alcohol and drugs.

Good crime-prevention projects related to the theme will be presented in the conference. Many of them will focus on young people. The project themes include the reduction of young people's heavy drinking and related crime, prevention of restaurant-related violence and crime, and the reduction of crime committed by drug abusers.

A crime prevention award worth EUR 20,000 will be given in connection with the conference. Thirteen crime-prevention projects from different countries are competing for the award.

Further information:
Hannu Takala, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Crime Prevention, tel. +358 50 364 3870
Jukka-Pekka Takala, Senior Planning Officer, tel. +358 50 574 3252