Executive Committee Meeting: Issues of crime prevention and reduction of offenses in the region were discussed
The internal affairs departments of the region, together with state administration bodies, are implementing the regional executive committee's plan for crime prevention this year. Positive trends have been achieved in several areas.
– The number of crimes in the criminal investigation sector has decreased by 4% overall, attempted murders by 41%, grievous bodily harm by 18%, including a 28% decrease in domestic violence, and hooliganism incidents have decreased by 19%, – reported Vyacheslav Petkun, Head of the Public Order and Prevention Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee. – At the same time, not all preventive measures have yielded the expected effect.
One of the significant problems is corruption. The number of such crimes is not decreasing. This year, 268 cases have been identified, with material damage to the state amounting to about 1.5 million rubles. The measures taken have allowed for the return of almost 1 million rubles to the budget. 135 officials have been brought to criminal responsibility for bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power, and exceeding official authority.
Law enforcement officers are concerned that, despite systematic efforts, a considerable amount of weapons, ammunition, and explosives remains in illegal circulation among the population. For this, 118 citizens have been brought to criminal responsibility this year. In addition, 460 units of weapons and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition have been seized. These are mainly hunting rifles and items obtained by "black diggers."
The number of crimes committed while intoxicated has increased by 40%, which is 550 more illegal acts than in the same period of 2018. Moreover, 90% of murders and 85% of grievous bodily harm were committed while in a state of intoxication.
One of the effective means of influencing individuals who abuse alcohol is their isolation in therapeutic and preventive labor centers (TPLC). In 2019, over 950 people were sent there, and currently, almost 1.5 thousand residents of the region are there.
302 drug trafficking offenses were detected. Over 142 kg of narcotic substances were seized, and the activities of four websites and six online stores distributing the poisonous substance were suppressed.
To ensure safety and provide legal and social assistance to victims of domestic violence, 27 crisis rooms have been established in the region, which were used by 60 victims this year. However, in 11 districts, these rooms remained unclaimed, either due to their remote location or lack of public awareness.
Deputy Prosecutor of the region Vladimir Guk noted that in the Liozno and Shumilino districts, the crime rates for 10 months have reached the annual levels of 2018. The main problem is the lack of systematic work, coordinated actions, and information exchange between authorities and law enforcement agencies. Only working on mistakes will help correct the situation.