The Vitebsk region should not be subject to criticism

A meeting of the collegium of the Vitebsk region prosecutor's office was held, which summarized the work of the prosecutor's offices in the first half of 2021 and defined tasks for prosecutors for the near future.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Khmaruk S.K., who noted that the prosecutor's offices of the region had done a significant amount of work in the first half of the current year to ensure legality and law and order, protect state interests, and the legitimate rights and freedoms of citizens.

Opening the collegium meeting, the Prosecutor of the Vitebsk region emphasized that as a result of coordinated efforts of all state structures in the fight against crime and corruption in the region, a stable crime situation has been maintained, and destabilization of the socio-political situation has been prevented.

The crime rate per 10,000 population in the Vitebsk region remains one of the lowest in the republic – 41.0 (the national average is 46.6).

The number of crimes in the areas of criminal investigation has decreased by 14.4% (from 2474 to 2119), which was significantly influenced by the reduction in thefts (from 1604 to 1310).

The increase in the total number of registered crimes in the region in the first half of 2021 (from 4438 to 4782 (+7.8%)) is mainly due to a significant increase in the number of high-tech crimes (from 586 to 981 (+67.4%)).

However, the main issues discussed at the collegium were not the achieved results, but the reasons for the negative trends in the operational situation, the existing shortcomings in the supervisory activities of prosecutors, and ways to eliminate them.

Thus, the region notes an increase in the number of victims of crimes (from 3393 to 3790 (+11.7%)), with a slight decrease in the number of deaths as a result of crimes (from 53 to 50 (-5.7%)).

In some regions, prosecutorial supervision is still not effective enough and does not have a proper impact on the prevention of crimes and other offenses.

The increase in the total

the number of committed crimes occurred in 14 regions of the oblast, with the largest increase in Sharkaushchyna (+52.4%),

Hlybokaye (+44.2%), Lepel (+35.5%), Postavy (+29.5%) districts.

An increase in the number of crimes in the criminal investigation line was observed in 8 regions (Hlybokaye (+38%), Lepel (+19.3%), Dubroŭna (+19.1%), Sharkaushchyna (+16.7%), Verkhnedvinsk (+13%), Senna (+11.1%), Dokszyce (+2.7%) districts and Orsha Department of Internal Affairs for Transport (+25%)).

The crime rate per 10,000 population, above the republican and oblast indicators, was registered in Viciebsk (64.9), Dubroŭna (64.5), Miory (47.4), Rossony (49.4), Senna (64.2), Toločyn (51.0) districts.

The main problematic issues in the crime situation in the oblast today are the prevention and detection of high-tech crimes (an increase of 67.4% (from 586 to 981)), crimes against public order and morality (an increase in hooliganism – from 73 to 101 (+38.4%)), crimes of mercenary intent (an increase in robberies – from 5 to 7 (+40%)), crimes against life and health of citizens (an increase in murders – from 16 to 17 (+6.3%)), and crimes related to protest activities of certain groups of citizens.

A number of remarks were made regarding the activities of prevention entities, their real impact on the crime rate at the local level, in particular, domestic violence, its causes and conditions, and the problem of early detection of domestic crime.

- "The prosecutor's participation in the work of the OPOP council and coordination meetings should be effective. Prosecutors need to set clear and specific tasks for prevention entities. There should be no formalism in the work," summarized the Deputy Prosecutor General.

The problem of people's deaths, especially children, from external factors remains relevant for the oblast, which was also highlighted at the collegium for prosecutors.

Thus, 58 (56) people died in fires in the first half of the current year (+3.6%), 46 (46) citizens drowned, including 5 (2) minors.

- "Half of

the deceased in the fire were pensioners, which requires increased preventive work by the relevant services with this socially vulnerable category of citizens," emphasized Sergey Khmaruk.

While the total number of registered road traffic accidents decreased (from 182 to 162 (-11%)), the number of citizens killed in them increased (from 32 to 36 (+12.5%)), and 3 (0) children also died. An increase in the number of people killed in road traffic accidents occurred in Dubrovensky (from 0 to 6), Dokshitsky (from 2 to 3), Lepelsky and Polotsky (from 1 to 3), Lioznensky (from 1 to 5), Miorsky and Shumilinsky (from 0 to 2) districts.

As a result of industrial accidents, 8 (8) people died (in Vitebsk - 4 (3) people, in Orshansky, Vitebsky, Verkhnedvinsky and Braslavsky districts - 1 each).

In the current year, during the prosecutors' supervision of the enforcement of legislation, paramount importance was attached to ensuring a stable socio-political situation and legality in all spheres of life.

Despite the decrease in the level of protest activity, the role of the prosecutor's office in countering offenses in the information sphere, including the dissemination of extremist content, Nazi symbols and attributes, and propaganda of Nazi and fascist ideology on the Internet, needs to be strengthened.

Issues of compliance with technological, veterinary and sanitary rules and norms at livestock facilities, and the implementation of a set of measures for the preservation of cattle, continue to require control.

The Deputy Prosecutor General drew the attention of prosecutors to the prevention of wage arrears in enterprises and ensuring legality in this area.

In addition, the Prosecutor General's Office criticized the issues of cattle mortality at agricultural enterprises in the regions, their sale to private individuals, the fight against corruption and corrupt manifestations, control over the implementation of adopted investment and state programs, and other areas of prosecutorial supervision.

After discussing the agenda, Sergey Khmaruk thanked the staff of the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office for

existing potential for future work, expressing confidence in the ability and proper implementation of the tasks set before the department.

Based on the results of the discussion, the collegium of the regional prosecutor's office adopted a corresponding decision, which outlines specific measures aimed at increasing the effectiveness of prosecutorial supervision.

Head of the Organizational and Control Department
of the Regional Prosecutor's Office
Igor Morozov