Criminological characterization of environmental crimes in the field of subsurface resources protection

Abstract

Purpose. To study environmental crimes in the field of subsurface resources protection and provide their criminological characterization, namely, to determine criminological indicators reflecting the studied crime rate, dynamics and structure. Methodology. A system of general scientific and special methods and approaches ensuring an objective analysis of the studied issue, particularly, logical and dogmatic, systematic, documentary, and modeling and statistical analysis methods. Findings. We determined absolute, mean and relative indicators of environmental crimes in the field of subsurface resources protection in Ukraine during 2002–2021, their total recorded number (9118 crimes), annual average (456 crimes) and share in the overall crime structure over the past 20 years (0.1 %). The conclusion shows a significant growth of environmental crimes in the field of subsurface resources protection in the overall crime structure (from 0.01 to 0.24 %) due to a significantly higher increase in these crimes rate compared to the absolute overall crime rate. The calculated dynamics indicators showed wave-like changes in the recorded crimes number against their steady overall upward trend – over the twenty-year period analyzed, reported crimes of this category increased more than 14 times. Originality. Following a long-term statistical analysis, since illegal amber mining criminalization, the article provides the first criminological characterization of environmental crimes in the field of subsurface resources protection. Practical value. The authors substantiate their understanding of the essence of this crime category envisaged by Article 240 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code “Violation of the Rules for Subsurface Resources Protection or Use, Illegal Extraction of Mineral Resources” and Article 2401 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code “Illegal Mining, Sale, Acquisition, Transfer, Sending, Transportation, and Processing of Amber”. The calculated indicators of the rate, dynamics and structure of the studied crimes are of standalone significance for academic research and law enforcement activities and create an appropriate basis for the information provision of combating environmental crimes in the field of subsoil protection being a prerequisite for developing an appropriate system of specified crime prevention measures.