Crime in Poland is combated by the

Polish police Policja () is the generic name for the national police force of the Republic of Poland. The Polish police force was known as ''policja'' throughout the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), and in the modern Republic of Poland since 1990. Its cu ...

and other government agencies. Poland's homicide rate is among the lowest in Europe and the country ranks 25th in Global Peace Index in 2022.

Crime by type

Murder

In 2011, Poland had a murder rate of 1.2 per 100,000 population. There were a total of 449 murders in Poland in 2011. In 2014 Poland had a murder rate of 0.7 per 100,000. There were a total 283 murders in Poland in 2014.''Global Study on Homicide''. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
/ref> In 2020, the homicide rate in Poland was 0.71 per 100,000 similar to recent years and down from a high of 2.4 per 100,000 in 1993 and 1994.

Organized crime

The most well known of the Polish organized crime groups in the 1990s were the so-called ''Pruszkow'' and the ''Wolomin'' gangs. Polish organized crime emerged in the 1990s, when the traditional criminal underworld became better organised and due to rising corruption. Organized crime groups were well known (1992) for operating sophisticated car theft-rings, as well as for their involvement in drug trafficking (the main drug being

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...

) and weapon trafficking. The ''Pruszków mafia'' was an organized criminal group that emerged from the Warsaw suburb of Pruszków in the beginning of the 1990s. The group is known for being involved in large car-theft rings,

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

(including cocaine,

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitorin ...

and

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

, extortion, weapon trafficking (including AK-47's) and

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

. Even though law enforcement dealt a severe blow to the ''Pruszków mafia'', it is alleged that Pruszków-based gangs, with or without notice from their former leaders, have regained their strength in recent years and have begun setting up their car-theft rings and connections with Colombian drug cartels again. BMW 3 sedan policja

A similar organized crime group known as the ''Wołomin mafia'' from Wołomin near Warsaw, with whom they fought bloody turf wars, was crushed by the Polish police in cooperation with the German police in a spectacular raid on a highway between Konin and Poznan in September 2011.

Corruption

Poland ranked 30th in the 175 country listing the

Corruption Perception Index The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an index which ranks countries "by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as an "abuse of entr ...

for 2015. It is the tenth successive year in which Poland's score and ranking has improved in the Index.

Polish cities most affected by crime

Crime dynamics

While local organized crime in Poland existed during the interwar period, it has mostly developed since the fall of communism (late 1980s/1990s) with the introduction of free market system in Poland and the lessening of the police ( milicja) power. Crime in Poland is lower than in many countries of Europe.J. van Dijk, J. van Kesteren, P. Smit
Criminal Victimisation in International Perspective, Key Findings from the 2004-2005 ICVS and EU ICS
, WODC 2007 Newer studies (2009) report that the crime victimisation rate in Poland is constantly decreasing, and in 2008 Poland was at a low end of 25 among the 36 European countries listed. A 2004 report on security concerns of European Union residents indicated that the Polish public (along with that of Greece) are the most afraid of crime, a finding which does not correlate with the actual crime threat.J. van Dijk, R. Manchin, J. van Kesteren, S. Nevala, G. Hide
The Burden of Crime in the EU
Research Report: A Comparative Analysis of the European Crime and Safety Survey (EU ICS) 2005

Crime by type

Murder

Organized crime

Corruption

Polish cities most affected by crime

Crime dynamics

See also

References

Further reading