The extended Board meeting devoted to the results of crime prevention, public order and public security maintenance in 2017 and current tasks was held in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Opening the meeting with the introductory speech, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Ramil Usubov noted that a determined effort was made to improve activities of the internal affairs bodies in the result of the law-enforcement policy successfully carried on by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and to develop achieved positive results, and protection of public order, security, human rights and freedoms as well as discharge of other duties and implementation of governmental plans and programs were provided. It was mentioned that based on the results of crime prevention, our country has been keeping its leading position among the CIS countries and Europe with the number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants which increased from 271 to 264. According to the World Economic Forum “The Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018”, our republic advanced by 21 steps and ranked 54th among 137 countries by the Reliability of Police Service Index, that is also a noteworthy fact.

Further, Minister of Internal Affairs R.Usubov delivered his report and noted that 26,113 crimes were registered in 2017 through all government agencies which carry out operational and investigative activities. 93.1 per cent of these crimes were the offences investigated within the powers of the internal affairs bodies and prosecution agencies, 86.3 per cent of them were the crimes not posing great threat to public safety and minor offences, and only 13.7 per cent were grave and especially grave crimes.
With preventive measures taken on a continuous basis, total number of crimes in the past year decreased by 2.7 per cent as compared with 2016, including grave and especially grave crmes (-9 per cent); intentional homicides (-9.5 per cent); robbery (-23.6 per cent); plunder (-16.6 per cent); roguishness (-11.8 per cent); blackmailing offenses (-10.5 per cent); hooliganism (-15.1 per cent); gun crimes (-12.5 per cent); traffic accidents (-8.6 per cent); traffic accident victims (-1.2 per cent), and the number of persons injured in traffic accidents (-14.2 per cent).
In the result of professional operating and investigative measures the detection rate for crimes under unknown circumstances increased by 3.6 per cent; for grave and especially grave crmes increased by 2.8 per cent; for robbery increased by 8.6 per cent; for plunder increased by 5.5 per cent; for blackmailing offenses increased by 0.3 per cent; for thefts increased by 6.4 per cent, and for roguishness increased by 2 per cent. 418 crimes unsolved in previous years were solved jointly with prosecution agencies in the result of investigative and operational activities.
Having touched upon the importance of application of information technology in timely prevention of offences, the Minister noted that in the result of prompt response measures taken on the information received by “102” Call Center, 1726 crimes were solved in hot pursuit and 10,607 offenses were prevented.
624 crimes were solved and 18,132 traffic accidents including auto-pedestrian accidents were detected by means of the Safe City Service, and 84 vehicles on the wanted list were stopped.
Control was exerted over the work on provision of unavoidability of punishment for crime which is very important for protection of legal interests of crime victims and justice, and 3415 accused persons who were fleeing from prosecution were arrested that is 13 per cent more than in the comparison period.
Location of 76 persons on the wanted list of the Interpol's National Central Bureau and 39 persons wanted in the member-states of this organization was identified. On the whole, the index of investigative activities was 71.4 per cent.
The Minister of Internal Affairs noted that organized crime prevention measures were consistently taken and 1028 organized criminal groups which committed 2698 crimes were neutralized in the reporting period.
In the result of measures taken against drug trafficking which is classified as a type of transnational organized crime, 944.5 kg of narcotic substances were withdrawn from illegal circulation and 78 criminal groups were neutralized. About 175 tons of illegally cultivated and wild plants of cannabis and poppy were detected and destroyed.

Consistent efforts were also made based on the National Action Plan in combating trafficking in persons. 142 facts of trafficking in persons and 6 facts of forced labor were detected, and 8 criminal groups of 17 persons were neutralized. 71 persons were reintegrated into the society within the scope of the work on protection, restoration of rights and social rehabilitation of trafficking victims.
32,500 criminal cases were in proceedings of investigators of the law enforcement agencies of the republic in the past year, and 84 per cent of them were in proceedings of the internal affairs bodies. 9,085 investigated criminal cases were referred to court. The situation with indemnification of material damage caused to citizens improved by 14.5 per cent as compared with 2016 and reached 84.9 per cent.
It was noted in the report that over recent 5 years, noticeable decline in the road traffic accidents dynamics and decrease in the number of road accident victims were observed. The number of administrative road traffic-related offences detected in the reporting period increased by 17.6 per cent and was 3,365,417 offences. A total of 3,481,458 protocols on various administrative offences were made in the republic that is 17.2 per cent more than in 2016.

It was noted in the report that significant measures were taken to improve logistics, social protection of the personnel and service conditions in the Internal Troops in 2017 owing to special attention and care given by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev. In the result of consistent efforts, effectiveness of activities of commanders and control agencies, combat capability of military units, sense of patriotism and moral and psychological condition of the personnel improved to a considerable degree.

It was also mentioned that the personnel of the Internal Troops, Mobile Police Regiment and territorial police departments worthily discharged all assigned tasks connected with the maintenance of public order and security during 657 public events including 367 republican and global events held in the country in the past year.
Colonel General Ramil Usubov noted that fulfillment of duties under the program set by the President in one of high-priority areas of the service - reception of citizens and consideration of their applications - was under continuous strict control. 2018 citizens were received by the Ministry’s leadership including 416 citizens in 64 towns and regions of the republic by announcing in mass media, and most of raised issues were solved in situ. In the result of the work carried out in this sphere, the number of complaints about wrongful acts of police officers decreased by 12.2 per cent.
It was brought to the attention of the meeting participants that positive results achieved in crime prevention, maintenance of social security and protection of legal interests of citizens in the republic were achieved with the close cooperation of the police force (259 officers per 100,000 inhabitants that is much fewer than in most countries of the world) with the relevant government institutions. The Minister expressed gratitude to citizens of the country, chiefs and employees of the law enforcement bodies and special service agencies, mass media and non-governmental organizations for their active assistance to the internal affairs bodies in fulfillment of service duties.

In his speech Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in coordination and military issues of the law enforcement agencies, Chief of the department Fuad Alasgarov mentioned the successful implementation of legal and democratic reforms in the republic, large-scale infrastructure projects and social programs under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. He noted that the personnel of internal affairs bodies played a significant role in maintenance of social and political stability as well as human and civil rights and freedoms, and at the same time mentioned a number of achievements in the field of crime prevention and maintenance of public order and discharge of duties arising from the relevant State Programs and the National Plan of Actions. Importance of changes to the legislation aimed at improvement of service activities as well as of wider use of new information technologies was also mentioned.

Chief of the Main Police Headquarter of Baku City Mirgafar Seyidov, Chief of the Main Security Department Yashar Aliyev, Chief of the State Traffic Police Department Ramiz Zeynalov, Chief of the Main Department for Combating Trafficking in Persons Heydar Heydarov, Chief of the Internal Investigations Directorate Sahib Miurzayev, Chief of the Main Police Department of Ganja city Faig Shabanov, Chief of the Sumgayit City Police Department Akbar Ismayilov and others delivered their reports on the work done in 2017 and at the same time touched upon assigned tasks and specific measures to eliminate shortcomings in their activities.

Summarizing the meeting, the Minister recalled that the President commissioned to improve management in all state institutions at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers devoted to results of social and economic development and challenges of 2015 and held under the chairmanship of President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev. The Minister emphasized the importance of consistent fulfillment of primary duties to achieve this demand of our honorable President at the highest level: to build service activities on the principle of ensuring citizens satisfaction, to strengthen legitimacy, to broaden functions in the area of service of people, to use modern technologies, and to develop the staff proficiency.
Summarizing the meeting, the Minister of Internal Affairs noted that along with positive results achieved in 2017 there were certain shortcomings in territorial authorities which had a negative impact on their overall work, and drawn attention of the Board members to the necessity of a comprehensive analysis of such shortcomings and faults, ways of their elimination and current challenges as well as set targets, tasks and gave recommendations.
The Minister urged to provide timely registration of conflicting families at the local level, control over necessary preventive measures in respect of such families, preventive work with previously convicted persons as well as road trafficking monitoring, combating against illegal drug trafficking, strengthening of detection of potent narcotic substances, to intensify the key role of the investigation and inquiry apparatus in crime prevention, and to increase the managerial influence of the relevant main directorates and departments on the territorial police bodies.

The Minister brought to the participants’ attention that at the meeting devoted to the results of social and economic development in 2017 and current tasks of the Cabinet of Ministers held on January 10 under the chairmanship of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the honorable Head of our state had emphasized again that stability and peace are the key factor of public safety, provision of normal living conditions and dynamic development of the country over recent years against the background of various threats and challenges in the world. Mr. Usubov also emphasized the importance of efforts made by all departments of the internal affairs bodies in response to the appreciation given by the President to police activities in maintenance of stability and security, focus on proficiency enhancement and celebration the 100th  anniversary of the Azerbaijani Police with new achievements in the service for the benefit of the country and the people.

Minister Colonel-General Ramil Usubov assured President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the personnel that they will continue to protect stability, peace and security and human rights and freedoms in the country in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and fulfill their duties and important functions established by law.