Armenian Minister of Internal Affairs reports 2.2% reduction in crime rate over 11 months
YEREVAN, December 27. /ARKA/. According to statistics for the first 11 months of the current year, the number of crimes in Armenia has decreased by 2.2% compared to last year, said Arpine Sargsyan, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“A decline is observed in almost all categories of crime, including theft and drug trafficking,” she said on the Public Television of Armenia.
However, Sargsyan noted that a decline in crime does not guarantee improved quality, as reforms in the police sector focus on two main areas: the development of institutions and the establishment of standards.
She explained that the work on crime prevention is hindered by the lack of a unified national approach to the issue.
“A comprehensive crime prevention strategy would allow us to address these issues in a multi-layered way. Some crimes are connected to changes in the country’s economy and other sectors,” she said, adding that efforts in this direction will intensify in 2025.
At the same time, the minister emphasized the need for short-term solutions, as some problems cannot wait for institutional reforms to be completed.
For example, she noted that while illegal drug trafficking has decreased, the number of drug smuggling cases is on the rise. She explained that this could be due to domestic drug trafficking being linked to the operation of production laboratories within the country. Additionally, preventing even one large drug smuggling attempt can stop hundreds of smaller trafficking episodes.
“Thus, changing our methodology can increase the effectiveness of our work, and this applies to all areas,” she said, adding that these are temporary solutions and that a comprehensive strategic approach must be developed.
Regarding the statistics, Sargsyan reported that illegal drug trafficking has decreased by 1,223 cases, or 32.2%.
In response to opposition claims that crime is rampant in the country, the minister dismissed them as unfounded but noted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is maintaining a tough stance on this issue.
“We have had incidents this year, and criminal cases have been opened in response. However, these incidents should be viewed within the broader framework of crime prevention. The emergence of criminal subcultures is not accidental, as it stems from certain goals. The state’s task is to neutralize these goals and impose responsibility through a strict punitive policy for identified incidents,” she said. She also added that this year, the number of confiscated and voluntarily surrendered weapons and ammunition increased by 9.2%, or 1,600 units.
