Ads on Cybercrime: Slight Decreasing Trend for the First Time

For the first time in this area, there will be a slight decrease in the reports in 2024 compared to 2023. This was stated by the Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BK), Andreas Holzer, to journalists. Holzer was appointed BK Chief exactly four years ago on Saturday, and his extension is due next year after a five-year contract term.

Holzer was appointed BK Director on February 1, 2021. His goal, as he also formulated it now, was to make the Federal Criminal Police Office future-proof and to expand international cooperation. In addition, the BK should - and should - be established as the central coordination point of the criminal police.

"I don't want to anticipate the presentation of the crime statistics - but what is decreasing is internet fraud," explained Holzer. While the numbers in the narrower area of cybercrime - for example, hacker attacks - have remained largely constant, they have decreased in the broader area where the internet is used, for example, as a communication platform or as a means for criminal purposes. The reasons for this decline need to be examined in detail, and the reference period is still too short. But: "Unscientifically - we have already done a lot preventively and in the investigations in this area and reached many target groups," emphasized Holzer. Reports of cyber offenses thus fell from 65,864 in 2023 by about six percent. Reports of abuse representations of minors are also slightly decreasing.

Around 530,000 Criminal Charges Last Year: Slightly More Than 2023

The decline in this area of crime is remarkable, as the crime statistics have so far shown partly exorbitant increases every year. For total crime, the BK chief expects a slightly rising trend. It is therefore expected to have around 530,000 offenses with about 330,000 suspects. More than a third of the criminal charges - around 36 percent - concern the federal capital. Of the 330,000 suspects, around 100,000 were identified in Vienna. According to Holzer, the clearance rate will again be over 50 percent nationwide.

47 percent of the suspects are foreign citizens, according to the BK director. In a ten-year comparison (from 2015 to 2024), the proportion of foreign suspects has increased by about ten percent according to BK figures. Romanian citizens were most frequently criminally liable in Austria last year, followed by Germans. Syrian citizens came in third place: "That was not the case in 2015. They were not among the top ten," said Holzer. Accordingly, there were many foreign suspects from Syria in thefts, burglaries, and assaults. An increase was also recorded in drug offenses, where non-Austrian citizens stood out both as consumers and as dealers.

More Reports on Organised Crime Due to Operation Achilles

In the case of traditional offenses, a rather decreasing trend can be observed in most cases. However, Holzer pointed out two areas with a contrary trend. "The break-ins into motor vehicles are striking, where we register a significant increase." In addition, there were also strong increases in the category of criminal associations and organized crime - i.e., reports according to paragraphs 278 and 278a of the Criminal Code. This is primarily due to the activities of the AG Achilles. This has been sifting through a mass of chats from crypto messenger services for several years, which were made available to them by friendly investigative authorities. A total of around 7,000 suspects in Austria are being investigated. The offenses range from murder, blackmail, and kidnappings to international drug trafficking. "The clearance rate for organized crime (OK) is around 80 percent," Holzer concluded.

Monitoring of Messenger Services "a Must"

In view of the OK investigations, the BK chief renewed his demand to be able to monitor messenger services: "This is a must. Not having these capabilities is a disaster. Who among the criminals still makes traditional phone calls?", asked Holzer. After all, telephone surveillance is permissible. He pointed to many security levels that would be built in, from the prosecutor's application to the judicial order to a legal protection officer. "I also demand this for the protection of the population. How does it come about that the police cannot work in a timely manner due to the lack of powers?", said the BK director.

International cooperations are also at risk if investigators do not get the opportunity to monitor messenger services, said Holzer. "It's a give and take. If foreign partners always deliver something and never get anything, they will eventually think that they get nothing from this cooperation. We currently maintain the system because they appreciate our competence and like us."

More Underage Suspects Not Only in Vienna

The BK director is concerned about the increasing numbers of underage suspects. This is not just a problem in Vienna, "but all federal states have a problem in this area". He was sceptical about the discussion that emerged during the election campaign for the National Council about lowering the age of criminal responsibility. "Solving this solely through criminal law is, in my opinion, not enough", said Holzer. "The measure alone produces full prisons, but does not produce a change in behaviour. Therefore, one should look at how this can be flanked by society as a whole." The problem is unlikely to be solved by police means alone.

When he was appointed four years ago, he set out with the vision of making the Federal Criminal Police Office - "which my predecessor Franz Lang handed over to me in very good condition" - a future-proof office. The BK is the "central service of the criminal services with now over 800 employees in eight departments" - seven regular and the department of human trafficking and smuggling as a provisional one, which Holzer wants to make a regular one as quickly as possible. A central concern of his is the further establishment of the Cybercrime Competence Center C4, "which now enjoys high esteem" and which Holzer also sees as one of the factors for the decline in crime in this area.

The criminal service reform - presented in early September 2023 - is still in the implementation phase. Most criminal assistance positions in the federal states have been set up according to Holzer. In Linz, there is already the Cybercrime Training Center, from which the BK leader expects a lot for the training of police officers. This will be gradually set up in all federal states. In addition, there are cooperations with three commercial academies - in Tamsweg in Salzburg, Horn in Lower Austria and Vienna-Floridsdorf -, through which students are to be enthused for police service and especially for work as cyber investigators before they start their professional life. This - as well as cooperations with universities - should at least partially compensate for the competitive disadvantage in the struggle for the best cyber experts - keyword starting salaries. "Having two, three, four years of Federal Criminal Police Office on your CV already gives you a boost", Holzer was convinced.

For Holzer, regardless of the future political constellation in Austria and in the Ministry of the Interior: "The implementation of the reform is essential for the future." The BK chief is also clear that this does not necessarily have to depend on his person: "The Federal Criminal Police Office will not collapse if Holzer is no longer there", he said with regard to the extension of his contract due next year. "Of course, I would like to continue, there is still a lot to implement and I am passionate about the Austrian criminal police."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.