Environmental Crime: State, Structure, Dynamics over the Past Ten Years

Abstract

Based on the study, the article presents a criminological description of environmental crime over the last ten years, i.e. from 2012 to 2021. The specified period was chosen in order to reflect current trends in the development of environmental crime in Russia. It was revealed that the share of environmental crimes in the overall structure of crime varies within 1%. However, the factors that testify to the decline in the level of environmental crime both in absolute and qualitative terms are clearly manifesting themselves. It has ben established that the amount of registered environmental crimes does not correspond to the indicators characterizing the social danger of these crimes. The presence of scientific problems in determining the latency of environmental crime is noted. However, when taking into account the structure of environmental crime, a general tendency was revealed to recognize the type of crime under consideration as having high latency rates. It is recognized that against the background of a decrease in the indicators of official criminal law statistics for the detection and disclosure of these crimes, as well as bringing to justice those who ommitted them, taking into account the indicators of latency of environmental crime, there have been negative trends in ensuring the rights to a favorable environment guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. It is determined that the structure of environmental crime has remained stable for twenty-five years and has not changed in the last ten years. Thus, only four corpus delicti under Chapter 26 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation remain dominant in application, while the rest of the norms have only a single application or are of a declarative nature. It is concluded that the indicated negative indicators in the characterization of environmental crime do not show the effective work to prevent it and to ensure the environmental safety of the state.