The number of crimes committed in Hungary has been reduced by more than half since 2010, in contrast to the trends seen in the rest of Europe, Bence Rétvári, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, highlighted at a press conference marking the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the National Crime Prevention Council (OBT).
At the time of the formation of the second Orbán government in 2010, Hungarian authorities recorded 447,000 crimes, a figure that has since dropped significantly to 178,000, less than half of the previous total, Rétvári emphasized. He noted that unlike the trends observed in Europe, where crime rates are increasing due to illegal migration, Hungary is experiencing a decrease in crime. He further detailed that the government has increased funding for law enforcement from 449 billion forints to 1,309 billion forints. In addition, new legislation has toughened the country’s penal policy, such as the introduction of the ‘three strikes law’, which imposes harsher penalties on repeat offenders. The work of law enforcement agencies has become more efficient, leading to an increase in the number of convictions by several thousand, he added.
Rétvári praised the establishment of the National Crime Prevention Council (OBT) ten years ago as a key achievement. One of the council’s objectives is to reduce the number of people who fall victim to crimes and to minimize the risk of recidivism among offenders. The OBT operates not only nationally but also at the county level, he explained, detailing that crime preventions school programmes have been introduced, with over 23,000 participants so far. These programmes have involved not only police officers but also teachers and parents of students. In recent years, the OBT has become an important ally of the police in crime prevention in Hungary, especially in the fight against online fraud, Rétvári noted. He stressed that perpetrators now utilize the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, making it crucial for law enforcement to collaborate with the OBT to combat fraud effectively.
OBT President József Hatala highlighted that one of the government’s key achievements was the adoption of a ten-year crime prevention strategy. This strategy aims to reduce opportunities for crime. The organization views young people and the elderly as key target groups in terms of crime prevention. Part of the OBT’s work involves rehabilitating offenders to reduce recidivism, which also helps save on budgetary expenses, Hatala explained. He noted that since its inception seven years ago, nearly 129,000 high school students have participated in the so-called Great Student Crime Prevention Test, with participation increasing every year. To protect older generations, the OBT launched the popular ‘Boisterous Sixties’ programme series, which has also grown in popularity. Another initiative, the ‘Retiree Files’, uses a theatre group of elderly actors to raise awareness of the dangers facing their age group, while the ‘Fraud Academy’ produces short educational videos to help prevent crimes and victimization. These short films have already been viewed by more than 2.3 million people, Hatala shared.
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