RA POLICE SUMMARIZE STATISTICAL DATA ON CRIMES IN FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2008

Noyan Tapan

Nov 5, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. 6,825 crimes were recorded in
Armenia in the first nine months of 2008 against 6,510 crimes in the
same period of 2007, with the growth making 4.8% or 315 crimes. The
head of the RA Police PR and Information Department Sayat Shirinian
said at the November 4 press conference that the growth in the number
of crimes is conditioned by the police chiefs’ intolerance of the
practice of not registering crimes. He explained the decline in the
crime detection index by the overwork of police units due to the
presidential election and the postelection developments which had a
negative impact on crime detection. S. Shirinian announced that the
number of crimes per 10 thousand residents makes 21.3 in Armenia. For
comparison, this index makes 172.8 in Russia, 63.4 in Ukraine, 22.8
in Uzbekistan and 65.7 in Kazakhstan.

Out of the crimes against man in the first nine months of 2008,
there was an increase in the number of murders and crimes against
sexual immunity, including rape and attempted rape. At the same time,
there was a decline in the number of such crimes as attempted murder
and infliction of willful damage to health. As regards crimes against
property, there was a decline in the number of housebreaking thefts,
car thefts and frauds. The number of such crimes as robbery, theft,
embezzlement and peculation increased. The number of crimes committed
with the use of fire-arms declined as compared with the same period
of last year.

In January-September 2008, 182 illegally kept guns were seized from
citizens, and thanks to explanatory work 349 guns were voluntarily
handed over to police.

The number of persons subjected to criminal liability fell by 1.3%
– from 3,862 last year to 3,813 this year.

Out of the total number of those who committed crimes, 52 ones were
foreigners, 36 were citziens of CIS countries, and two were persons
without citizenship.

The number of crimes committed my minors declined by 63.

413 cases of drug trafficking were disclosed, which is fewer by 4
cases as compared with the same period of 2007. At the same time,
the number of drug sale cases grew by 21.

1,199 persons wanted by police were detained, including 18 persons
wanted for murder, 2 for rape, 15 for robbery, 67 for theft, 52 for
fraud, 40 for hooliganizsm, and 34 for inflicting willful heavy damage
to health.

78 persons wanted by police of other countries were arrested. 38
persons wanted by Armenian police were arrested in other countries
and brought to Armenia.

1,587 road accidents were recorded in Armenia in the first nine
months of 2008, as a result of which 285 people died and 2,295 were
injured. The number of road accidents grew by 213, of those killed –
by 18, and of those injured – by 345 on the same months of last year.

In the indicated period of 2008, disciplinary penalties were imposed
on 164 employees of the police for committing various disciplinary
violations, including 12 ones who were warned about not corresponding
fully to their posistions, 7 were demoted to a lower position or rank,
and 12 employees were dismissed from the police service.