24 January, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. In the Vitebsk region, law enforcement officers and other relevant agencies need to intensify preventive work with previously convicted individuals, as reported to BELTA correspondent Sergey Selikhanov, Deputy Head of the Department for Supervision of Legality of Judicial Decisions in Criminal Cases of the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office.
According to him, the insufficient preventive and explanatory work by the police and other prevention entities, the lack of their systematic engagement with previously convicted individuals, as well as citizens who have been held administratively liable, are the main factors contributing to the increase in murders and attempted murders in the region. Sergey Selikhanov recalled that over the past year, 12.4 thousand crimes were committed in the region, which is 23.3% lower than in 2011. Alongside this, the number of murders increased by 10.2% to 54 incidents. An increase in these crimes is noted in the Zheleznodorozhny and Pervomaysky districts of Vitebsk, Beshenkovichsky, Braslavsky, Vitebsky, Gluboksky, Gorodoksky, Postavsky, Rossonksky, Tolochinsky, Chashniksky, Sharkovshchinsky, Shumilinsky districts, and Polotsk.
"Analysis of murders and attempted murders has shown that in most cases, the perpetrators had previously been held administratively or criminally liable or had come to the attention of law enforcement officers, and were unemployed. The absolute majority of crimes (46, or 86.8%) were committed while intoxicated," the interviewee stated. He also emphasized that the underestimated control over the behavior of individuals in this category is one of the main conditions contributing to the commission of crimes. Furthermore, individuals with alcohol dependence or mental disorders, who have previously been convicted of crimes involving offenses against life and health, require increased attention from law enforcement agencies.