Crime may not pay, but it costs – and for Israel, the price of crime over the past decade has been NIS 177 billion ($51 billion).
According to a report prepared for the Public Security Ministry and released Sunday, Israel lost NIS 14.5 billion to crime in just 2013 – and a total of NIS 211 billion since 2001.
Economic damage due to crime includes material losses due to theft and robbery, the loss of manpower and productivity to the economy in the case of individuals injured or killed in a criminal act, insurance compensation, and the cost of investigations, trials, and incarcerations, among others.
Averaged out among all categories of a crime, a single criminal act on average costs the economy NIS 11,000. Murder was the most “expensive” crime, with each instance costing NIS 2.5 million. Sexual molestation cases cost the economy NIS 40,000 per instance, while other violent crimes averaged NIS 29,000. The average loss in a property crime was a relatively mild NIS 9,500, while instances of fraud cost the economy NIS 7,000 each.
Property crimes grew 2.1% in 2013, after growing 1.5% in 2012 – a trend that has been going on for some time, the report's authors said, as Israeli society experiences an increase in crime. In a statement, the Ministry said that it would “continue to improve the quality of life of citizens and to increase the sense of well-being and safety among Israelis.”