Deputy Minister: Crime prevention core of public safety policy

ArmInfo. Crime prevention is at the heart of public safety policy, as stated by RA Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Mkrtchyan during a press  conference on August 18.

According to him, based on this objective, the Ministry of Internal  Affairs will pay more attention to studying the causes and conditions  that contribute to the commission of crimes. 

Armen Mkrtchyan pointed out the deep-seated nature of the causes of  crime, noting that they carry educational, social, and medical  components. In this matter, the role of the country's law enforcement  agencies is specific, but the law enforcement system should not stand  alone in solving existing problems. This circumstance is enshrined in  the draft Crime Prevention Strategy, which will soon be submitted for  government approval.

The Deputy Minister also pointed to the direct work of the law  enforcement agency aimed at developing operational- investigative  measures using the most modern mechanisms. For the successful  implementation of these measures, it is very important to have a  clear crime database. To this end, a special unit—the Crime  Statistics and Monitoring Center—has been established within the  Ministry of Internal Affairs. This center will be responsible for  collecting real information and providing a reliable assessment of  crime trends. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also intends to carry  out certain forecasts using artificial intelligence, which is crucial  in the fight against crime.

Armen Mkrtchyan emphasized that the development of the country's  police follows four main directions: the Patrol Service, Criminal  Police, Community Police, and Police Guard. The latter began its  official operations on November 1 of last year. During its formation,  special attention was paid to the educational component of its  personnel, which is crucial given that the Police Guard is  responsible for maintaining public order, including during rallies  and marches. During such events, the issue of using force, giving  orders, and so on is very sensitive. In this regard, the approved  standard on the use of force and special means is extremely  important. Guard officers very frequently record numerous instances  of offenses, especially in public places.