Determination of Crime in the Field of Radioecological Safety in Ukraine: Measurement of Ordinary Criminal Practices

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the determination of the ordinary segment of crime in the field of radioecological safety in Ukraine. Its socio-economic, cultural-psychological and organisational-managerial factors have been described. It provides a description and explanation of the main sources of demand for the illegal trafficking of radioactive materials: 1) nuclear terrorism; 2) illegal development of nuclear weapons; 3) illegal use of radioactive materials in scientific research; 4) corruption in the procurement of technical devices containing radioactive substances; 5) intentional killings using radioactive materials. A direct link has been established between crime in the field of radioecological safety and trends towards the deterioration of the socio-economic situation of the population, rising consumer prices, falling living standards, cuts in budget allocations to support low-income families, and the spread of de facto unemployment.

It has been proven that the cultural and psychological factors of crime in the field of radioecological safety are manifested in distortions of public morality concerning the establishment of relations in the “human-nature” system on a partnership basis, an exploitative attitude towards the environment and other people, as well as a state of anomie, which leads to social disintegration and the dominance of attitudes towards privacy over the common good. As a result, consumerism and selfishness take precedence over the common good within the value of Nature.

The organisational and managerial factors of ordinary crime in the field of radioecological safety have been characterised, including: 1) shortcomings in the organisation of storage, use, transportation and accounting of radioactive materials; 2) shortcomings in the organisation of storage, use, transportation and accounting of certain categories of military property and dual-use goods – technical devices containing radioactive materials; 3) shortcomings in the organisation of administrative activities of law enforcement agencies regarding: a) control over the integrity of the perimeter and prevention of uncontrolled entry into the exclusion zone and the zone of unconditional (mandatory) resettlement; b) phytosanitary and radiological control of food products on consumer markets, in particular berries, mushrooms, fish and game; c) radiological control of scrap metal at collection and transshipment points; d) combating illegal trade in food products (in particular, berries and mushrooms) along the motorways of the Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Chernihiv regions.