Issues of Latvian Energy Supply Security: Evaluation of Criminal Offences in Latvia’s Electricity Market

Abstract

IntroductionThere are a lot of factors that influence the efficiency of efforts preventing criminal offences of an economic nature; these factors include networking of stakeholders (e.g., Akhmadeev and Manakhov, 2015; Ala-Juusela et al., 2014; Aleksejeva, 2016; Barberis et al., 2014; Branten and Purju, 2015; Cirjevskis, 2015; Cuneo et al., 2014; Fuschi and Tvaronaviciene, 2016) and level of development of country (e.g., Corneliu, Tamosiuniene, 2015; Balitskiy et al., 2014; Balkyte and Tvaronaviciene, 2010; Dudzeviciute et al., 2014; Lapinskiene et al., 2013; Lapinskiene et al., 2014; Bialowqs, 2015; Pires Manso et al., 2015; Balitskiy et al., 2016). The list of factors could continue much further, but suffice it to summarize that they are often categorized into soft, or indirect, factors, and hard factors, together encompassing all mechanisms of enforcement, from legislation to punishment of crimes. Taking into account the complexity of the phenomenon itself, we want to delineate the context of our research.The energy security of a country involves a number of different facets, such as energy availability, efficiency, and afordability (Cherp and Jewell, 2014; Dezellus et al., 2015; Lisin et al., 2015; Espona, 2016); level of techology novelty and its vulnerability (Grubicka and Matuska, 2015; Prause, 2016); public sector performance (Bileisis, 2014; Borshchevska, 2015; Caurkubule, Rubanovskis, 2014; Garskaite-Milvydiene, 2014; Lauzikas et al., 2015); and available means to enhance social security (Bileviciene and Bileviciute, 2015; Bistrova et al., 2014; Dzemyda and Raudeliuniene, 2014; Tvaronaviciene et al., 2015). In addition to these, behavioral patterns also undeniably affect a country's energy security.To determine the significance of criminal offences in electric power engineering services in Latvia and to evaluate the efficiency of solutions therefor, the authors of this research developed a questionnaire targeting specialists from various sectors in Latvia: law enforcement institutions (police and prosecutor's office) and employees of energy companies (JSC Latvenergo, JSC Sadales tikls). These specialists represent the population of the empirical research. The questionnaire was conducted electronically (http://aptaujas.du.lv/index.php/813329/lang-lv), and the responses served as the data for this empirical research.Research hypotheses were formulated taking into account various factors that influence criminal offence in electric power engineering services: fraud icentives (Girunas and Mackevicius, 2014; Giriuniene, 2013; Isoraite, 2013; Lace et al., 2015; Lauzikas and Mokseckiene, 2013); technology (Gerlitz, 2016; Guruz and Scherer, 2014; Ignatavicius et al., 2015; Jefremov and Rubanovskis, 2015; Iganatavicius et al., 2015; Grubicka and Matuska, 2015; Rezk et al., 2015; Prause, 2016); perceptions of energy security (Miskinis et al., 2013; Mânsson et al., 2014; Raudeliuniene et al., 2014; Leonavicius et al., 2015; Narula and Reddy, 2015; Njaramba et al., 2015; Oganisjana and Surikova, 2015); and risk awareness (Ruza et al., 2016). Authors put particular emphasis on enforcement efficiency. Therefore, the following hypotheses were formulated:* Protection of electric energy market through criminal law is important and topical both for energy supply companies and police officers.* There is a necessity for legislative framework modernization in order to prevent criminal offences in the electric energy market.* An appropriate provision of police resources is necessary to prevent criminal offences in the electric energy market and to ensure effective protection of the said market.* There are differences in the evaluation of the efficiency of various groups of measures used to resolve criminal offences in the electric energy market.* There is interdependence between the evaluation of the problem of illegal usage of electric energy and the effective application of various groups of measures to solve the problem. …