Safety first

Unfortunately, among the almost daily reports of incidents, there are also those containing information about citizens who have left home and whose whereabouts are unknown.

For 7 months of 2020, 59 people were put on the wanted list in the Vitebsk region, whose whereabouts were not established within 10 days from the date of application to the internal affairs bodies by their relatives. As a result of the search activities carried out, the whereabouts of 39 missing persons were established. However, as statistics show, a large number of people still remain among the missing.

Analyzing the case files of the search for such citizens, it should be noted that the absolute majority of them disappeared as a result of neglecting personal safety rules, namely: when traveling abroad in search of work - without the necessary knowledge of the place of work, information about the employer, working conditions, for those who went into the forest to collect mushrooms and berries - insufficient knowledge of the area, as a result of neglecting their health, including due to old age, due to the lack of possibility to contact relatives and friends, as well as special services by phone and other means of communication.

Speaking about the need to protect oneself, I consider it necessary to provide some recommendations that, I hope, will help citizens not to end up in the sad statistics of the missing.

Thus, when traveling abroad for employment purposes, it is necessary to contact organizations that carry out their activities in the Republic of Belarus and are engaged in employment abroad on a legal basis, have appropriate permits (licenses) for this type of activity.

In case of independent employment, one should make sure of the employer's business reputation, its location, the types of activities it carries out, working conditions and payment terms, in addition, it is necessary to inform your loved ones about your whereabouts and maintain contact with them by phone or other means of communication.

Fans of mushroom and berry picking must inform their relatives about their trip, telling them,

where exactly you will be, take a mobile phone with a well-charged battery. It won't hurt to have matches in a waterproof container, a flashlight, and a compass. It is advisable to choose brighter clothing, as camouflage uniforms and dark-colored clothing blend in with the trees. People who are in a painful condition and the elderly should definitely refrain from going into the forest.

By observing these personal safety measures, I believe that citizens who have gone abroad for employment and lovers of nature's gifts will not become victims of accidents and will safely return home for the benefit of themselves and their loved ones.

Deputy Head of Department
for Supervision of Inquiries and Operational-Investigative Activities
of the Regional Prosecutor's Office
Vladimir Rudenkov