Crime Control and Tourist Safety: A Case-Study of the Romanian Seashore

Abstract

It is known that, in recent years, many countries have experienced terrorist attacks in various manifestations and other crimes in which there were casualties, some even among tourists. The change in the international situation required a novel approach to this phenomenon, as well as renewed efforts by specialised state bodies to protect the population in general and tourists in particular. Romania is a special attraction for tourists worldwide due to the natural and anthropogenic potential, and the absence/non-occurrence of ​​tragic events on the national territory was a good opportunity to increase tourist traffic and to develop tourism in our country in the past few years. Nevertheless, crimes whose victims can be both tourists (Romanian and foreign) and locals have been committed and are still being committed. An important destination for international tourism is represented by resorts and tourist towns on the Romanian Black Sea shore, located exclusively in Constanta county. This study aims at analysing the statistical data from the records of the Constanta County Police Inspectorate (the Romanian abbreviation is IPJ) relating to the commission of crimes affecting the safety and security of persons and starts from the hypothesis that there are differences or similarities in terms of data structure. In the study, we have used a range of data on some crimes committed in the period 2012–2016 in eight towns and seaside resorts. The statistical methods used are correspondence factor analysis and multiple correspondence factor analysis. Data processing, indicator significance testing and graphical representations were performed using the SPSS statistical analysis software. We believe that this study, by means of the statistical methods used, on the one hand has allowed us to analyse the evolution of crimes over a period of five years, and on the other hand to identify particularities of each of the eight localities/tourist resorts, in terms of the types of crimes. This information can be used both by institutions of the Romanian state (i.e. the police and the gendarmerie), which are legally enabled to intervene in fighting crime by improving their activity, developing security strategies focused on safety and protecting tourists and tourist destinations, as well as individuals (by tourists, in particular), which should have a cautious and responsible behaviour to avoid becoming victims of criminals.