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13.02.2018

Lukashenko gives credit to law enforcement agencies, yet calls situation ‘not favorable'

MINSK (BelTA) – The law enforcement officers deserve credit for their work, although the situation is not favorable in general, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko noted at a meeting of Belarus' Security Council on 13 February, BelTA has learned.

“The second important matter on today's agenda is law enforcement and protection of the population. This is our number one priority. The country does a lot to ensure human security. Protection of the society and every citizen in Belarus is always prioritized. It is not for nothing that we are proud of Belarus being a relatively calm and safe country,” the president remarked.

We must not slow down, however, the head of state added. “Today the crime rate is on a downtrend. In the last ten plus years, the level of criminalization decreased twofold. The number of victims of criminal assaults went down as well as the number of traffic collisions. The number of those driving while intoxicated went down three times, the number of alcohol-related crimes is on the decline,” he said.

In his words, there is plenty of serious work ahead to fight this evil, and by no means should this process slow down.

“Over 86,000 crimes and nearly 3,000 traffic collisions take place every year, which kill around a thousand people. This is a very big number. Last year, despite fewer traffic collisions, the traffic-related death rate remained virtually the same. As a matter of fact, the number of child deaths from road traffic accidents has grown,” Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

The rise in domestic violence, domestic crime, crime against minors, including using the internet, is a matter of concern. “We should study the effectiveness of the Interior Ministry in this field. Furthermore, the law enforcement officials report that the victory over drugs is round the corner. However, tonnes of drugs are seized on the border, and most charges are filed for tenths of a gram. They bring cases for small things but why do they not catch kingpins?” the head of state inquired.

The number of surrogate alcohol-related deaths grows every year, he added. The president would like to be informed on the measures taken to prevent the sale of surrogate alcohol in Belarus. In his opinion, “this fight should be compared to the fight with the deadliest poison”.

“Every sociological survey has been showing lately that alcoholism number one problem for the population,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

The president urged the prosecutor general and the interior minister to come up with specific proposals at the next meeting to effectively accomplish the tasks set for their respective government bodies in 2018.

Alexander Lukashenko inquired about ways to further improve the preventive measures and reduce the level of alcohol involvement, domestic violence, and promote legal awareness among the population. “We must not let any bully to abuse his children or woman. We must put an end to this!” he summarized.