Crime and Criminality in North Macedonia During COVID-19 Restrictive Measures

Abstract

The pandemic and restrictive measures taken by governments have radically changed our daily lives. The impact on mental health, image, behaviour and conduct as a result of the restrictions on movement and everyday activities is significant. What is more, these changes are happening not only in the field of permissible conduct, but also in prohibited conduct. What should we expect regarding the volume and structure of criminal behaviour? The answer is a drop in crime in most cases. But why? Because we have fewer people going out, empty streets and closed stores. Restrictive measures and lockdown meant a fall in street crime, but not all crime is street crime. As every crisis is an opportunity, these circumstances offer a breeding ground for other types of criminal behaviour. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted criminal behaviour in the Republic of North Macedonia. Based on daily bulletins from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we were able to conclude that domestic violence cases increased compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019, but not significantly. Furthermore, there has been a rise in property crimes, especially fraud, due to increased online shopping. What has drastically increased, however, are crimes against public health, which is be expected given the current situation.