"Armenia leads in regional crime fight," says Interior Chief
Crime in Armenia
“According to the ‘Crime Level by Country 2023’ study conducted by the World Population Review, Armenia ranks 9th out of 137 countries. It’s first in its region. The top five include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Oman, and New Zealand. Armenia is considered one of the safest countries, ranking just after Hong Kong, Japan, and Slovenia. Georgia rounds out the top ten,” interior minister Vage Kazaryan reported.
He shared these findings during a parliamentary committee meeting on defense and security. There, he presented a report on the work accomplished in 2023.
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The interior minister announced that 2023 was designated as the year to combat drugs:
“Last year, we more than doubled our success in exposing illegal drug trade cases, with an increase of 2,847 cases.
We discovered 650 online stores and 35 channels involved in selling drugs.”
The minister also talked about reforms in the ministry and raising salaries. He mentioned structural changes within the ministry and the formation of a new police force. This new force will include criminal, patrol, and community units, as well as a police guard. Kazaryan highlighted that the patrol service, previously only active in the capital, now operates nationwide.
He stated that police officers now have the chance to earn higher salaries by passing a certification process:
“A field officer, who used to earn 222,000 drams (about $555), can now earn 459,000 drams (about $1148) after passing the certification.”
Rescue service employees can also receive a similar raise after certification, the minister announced. He added that in 2023, the ministry purchased eight new off-road vehicles and two drones for the rescue service.
“Our doors are open”
Opposition MP Gegam Nazaryan asked the minister if there was any data on how many police and rescuers from Nagorno-Karabakh, who have moved to Armenia, found jobs in their field. The interior minister responded that he met with refugees from Karabakh at the end of last year:
“We told them our doors are open to them. Now, we already have five employees in the ministry in high-ranking positions. Displaced people from Artsakh are getting jobs in various departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
Taking the opportunity, Vage Kazaryan also shared information about the registration of Armenians from Karabakh in Armenia:
“Currently, 76,339 people have received temporary protection IDs, 79,682 people have registered, and 1,437 people have applied for citizenship.”
Those who have received temporary protection status are effectively recognized as refugees under the Republic of Armenia’s “Refugees and Asylum” law. They can use all international conventional mechanisms. According to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sarkisyan, “essentially, they are under international protection both within and outside the Republic of Armenia.” This status is granted for one year with the possibility of extension.
2024: The year of fighting traffic accidents
The minister announced that 2024 has been declared the year to combat road traffic accidents. There’s already positive statistics in the first quarter of this year, with fewer accidents than the same period last year:
“We have 54 fewer accidents, six fewer fatal accidents, and 110 fewer injuries. These are good indicators.“
Kazaryan believes many drivers lack adequate driving skills. He also mentioned that the “good quality” of roads, which allows for speeding, is among the reasons for accidents:
“As part of the effort to fight accidents, there are plans to implement an electronic video recording system on all highways. A tender for the project has been announced. If everything goes as planned, we’ll install new and modern cameras on all highways that will display speed. And drivers will have to reduce their speed.”
Crime in Armenia
