After the introduction of the patrol service in Lori marz, the cases of harassment of the public officials due to their performance of official duties have increased sharply, while the cases of house burglaries, on the contrary, have decreased sharply. Sahak Mkrtchyan, the Head of the Lori Marz Investigative Department, first-class councilor of justice, mentioned this in the framework of of “The Investigator Presents” series of interviews of Iravaban.net.
-Mr. Mkrtchyan, how would you assess the dynamics of the state of crime in the region in 2022, especially from the point of view of the detection of crimes?
– As in all marzes of the Republic, the number of crimes has increased year by year in Lori marz. In 2022, an increase in the detection rate of crimes was recorded. 308 cases (proceedings) with an indictment were sent to the court in 2020, in 2021 – 326 cases (proceedings), and in 2022 – 344 cases (proceedings). On 16 April, 2022, the patrol service was introduced in Lori marz. In the following months, the cases of harassment of the government officials, related to their performance of their official duties, increased sharply. Also, as a result of the objective, impartial and drastic measures conducted by the officers of the Lori Regional Investigative Department, a serious decrease in the number of the mentioned crime was recorded. With the introduction of the mentioned service, the cases of house burglaries have drastically decreased.
– What types of crimes have the regional administration and subordinate departments been successful in detecting, and what problems do you see?
– In terms of the detection of almost all crimes, it has been successful, which is due to the quality of cooperation with the regional units of other law enforcement agencies, organizing the work as correctly as possible.
– What are the characteristics of Lori marz due to the nature of crimes? Are the images of the “naive Lori man” expressed in any way in the criminogenic state of the region?
– Lori marz is distinguished by its unearthly nature, abundance of forest areas. Therefore, the marz stands out for the number of crimes against the environment, particularly the number of cases of illegal cutting of trees, despite the fact that this type of crime is also decreasing. In 2021, we had 108 such cases, and 76 cases in 2022. Although in 2023 we haven’t summed up the past months yet, but I am sure that we managed to maintain this dynamic.
The fight against the mentioned types of crimes is in the focus of our attention, the approach to the persons who committed the alleged crime is uncompromising and very strict. And the image of “naive Lori man” is well known to all of us, it has a more humorous origin, in the current pace of development of public relations, it is difficult to imagine an image of a naive person. As a rule, the people of Lorry are honest, hardworking, patriotic, dignified and cheerful people.
– What tools does the investigative body use to influence the effectiveness of the fight against illegal logging?
– Serious success in the fight against these types of crimes was recorded after the introduction of the patrol service. In 2023, the result is much more noticeable. If 53 cases of tree cutting were recorded in 5 months of 2022, in 5 months of 2023 only 42 cases were recorded, which is a serious achievement. As I mentioned above, the effectiveness of the fight against this type of crime depends on being uncompromising, consistent and approaching the persons who have committed the alleged crime with all the severity of the law. The role of the investigative body in this case is to reveal the cases through effective investigation, to ensure the inevitability of punishment for the criminals, which are of preventive importance.
– There have been cases of crimes involving minors. A more lenient attitude towards minors has been adopted by the state. How do you think it contributes to their correction and what are the characteristics of examinations for minors?
-Crimes involving minors and committed by minors happen and it is worrying. As a rule, they are thefts. As a rule, minors are involved in the commission of the mentioned crime by previously convicted adults with a tendency to commit thefts. There are cases when minors are involved as “tools” by an adult. Taking a more lenient approach to juveniles is the right course, especially when they are first time offenders. There are many cases when, as a result of a gentle approach, showing forgiveness in a certain sense, they are corrected, become law-abiding citizens, because they already understand the consequences of criminal behavior.
– The investigators work with a heavy workload, that’s why there is also a flow of personnel in the system. First of all, I would like to know what is the staffing level of the department and its subordinate units and how effective do you consider the examinations conducted against the background of this workload?
– Lori regional investigative department is second only to Kotayk regional investigative department in terms of workload and number of cases. The personnel saturation of the department is 82 percent, but in the near future the number will change and we will have a serious quantitative increase. The work at the RA Investigative Committee has become very attractive for young lawyers and the number of applicants has increased dramatically.
As far as I know, 6 lawyers from Lori region are currently studying at the Academy of Justice, and after successful graduation, they can join our ranks. The staff flow is typical for all large systems, but it is within the limits of the norm. There are not few cases when unscrupulous people leave our ranks. However, despite the workload, I think the investigation is effective.
– Under your leadership, the Lori Regional Investigative Department was recognized as the best department in 2021. Does such an assessment motivate more for the following years or vice versa? Have you experienced any positive or negative effects on employee performance?
– In 2021, the Lori Regional Investigative Department was indeed recognized as the best regional unit, which, naturally, is binding. The entire staff was encouraged and praised by the Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee. The administration achieved this success as a result of tireless and dedicated work. In the last months of the year, with overstrain of forces, which was the most desirable result for all of us and a high appreciationof the work done. Of course, it is a milestone that you try to meet in the following years. And in that sense, it definitely had a positive impact on the employees of the department. I think that incentivizing the spirit of competition can be a greater incentive to increase productivity in some cases.
– Your biography is entirely connected with investigative activities. Is it the result of love for the profession or were there other factors?
– Carrying the high title of investigator for 22 years in a row is definitely the result of loving the profession and work, as well as dedication to work. Especially in our field, which is at the roots of the protection of the legal system within the state, and whether you like it or not, that work becomes a mission. I approach my work as a mission.
-Looking back at your 22 years of investigative activity, what changes have you noticed in the process of generation’s change of investigators? What differences do you see between former and current investigators, and the investigative work?
– In the past, the generational change was carried out disproportionately. When in 2001I I was appointed as an investigator, 90 percent of the officers of the department were older officers and at one point, after the retirement of the older officers, there was a shortage of experienced officers, and in recent years, the generational change has been proportional. There have always been dedicated, dutiful servants.
– What problems have you identified related to the activities of the administration and subordinate departments, to which you will give special priority in 2023?
– As a problem, I distinguish the unprecedented number of initiated proceedings and current proceedings; more than 300 each month. Based on that, I personally consider the reduction of current proceedings, a certain reduction of the workload of investigators to be the priority. I think that staffing of the department will have a positive effect on the way to solving this problem.
This initiative, implemented in cooperation with the RA Investigative Committee and the Iravaban.net website, aims to properly present to the public the main directions of the work carried out by the preliminary investigation body, to reflect on the peculiarities of pre-trial proceedings and other issues of public importance.
