NCJ Number
156512
Date Published
1995
Length
43 pages
Annotation
In 1994, a research project was initiated to assess the crime situation in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the security of Finnish companies operating in the region.
Abstract
Interviews were carried out with 29 companies operating in the St. Petersburg region, and telephone interviews were conducted to obtain data from 24 additional companies. The security of Finnish companies operating in St. Petersburg was assessed in terms of security service contracts, personnel, and offenses directed at companies. Consideration was also paid to relationships between clients and competitors and to relationships between Finnish companies and Russian authorities. Interview findings revealed that security issues associated with business travel concerned three different problem areas: security while traveling, security in accommodations, and security during negotiations. It appeared that companies conducting business without a fixed point of operations and without employees permanently stationed in the city did not encounter particular threats that were different from normal risks affecting business operations abroad. In terms of business travel, data suggested that St. Petersburg was a relatively safe city. Finnish companies established in St. Petersburg, however, had considerably greater problems, primarily with respect to property crimes and the interest of criminal groups in becoming business partners. 11 references, 23 footnotes, and 8 tables