Crime Rate Drops by Half Since 2010

Bence Rétvári, the Parliamentary Secretary of State of the Interior Ministry, highlighted the significant drop in crime rates in Hungary since 2010, during a press conference marking the 10th anniversary of the National Crime Prevention Council (OBT).

The politician emphasized that while crime is rising in most of Europe, Hungary has managed to reduce its crime rate by more than half, from 447,000 crimes in 2010, to 178,000 today. “Hungary is experiencing a trend contrary to Europe,” Mr. Rétvári said, attributing this decline to stricter laws and increased police funding.

The government has raised the budget for police protection from HUF 449B to 1,309B (EUR  1.1M to 3.3B), and enacted stricter criminal policies, including the “three strikes law” targeting repeat offenders. Bence Rétvári noted that these measures have led to more convictions:

the work of law enforcement agencies has become more efficient, with the number of convicted persons increasing by thousands.”

The Secretary of State also stressed the importance of the Crime Prevention Council, established ten years ago, in preventing crime and reducing repeat offenses. “The OBT has been a very important ally of the police in the fight against online fraud,” he said, highlighting the Council’s role in educating both youth and the elderly, two key target groups.

Initiatives like school programs, which have seen over 23,000 participants, and the Big Student Crime Prevention Test, with nearly 129,000 students, aim to foster crime prevention awareness.

The OBT also works to protect the elderly through programs which use educational videos and performances to raise awareness about fraud and victimization. The OBT’s efforts in crime prevention and collaboration with law enforcement have helped to lower the risk of re-offending and foster safer communities.

Via MTI; Featured Image: police.hu