Crime Analysis of the 1st half of 2020

Review of the results of activities of the Internal Affairs Bodies in crime prevention and maintenance of public security in the republic in the first half of 2020
 
 
The Republic of Azerbaijan continues to maintain its image of a state where public security and peace are at a high level in terms of the fight against crime and ensuring public order. As a result of continuous monitoring of the crime situation, positive trends in the structure and dynamics of crime have strengthened over the past 6 months.
In the reporting period, 13,310 crimes were registered by all government authorities carrying out investigative and search activities (-224 or -1.7% in comparison with the same period of 2019).
12,602 or 94.7% of these crimes were the offences under pre-trial investigation within the powers of the internal affairs bodies and prosecution agencies. 87.2% of these crimes were the crimes not posing great threat to public safety (3,519) and minor offences (7465) and only 12.8% (1618) were grave and especially grave crimes.
Within the crime structure, the number of crimes committed against personality was 2621 (-54 or -2% in comparison with the same period of 2019), the number of crimes committed in the economic sphere was 5016 (-244; -4.6%) including 4851 (-243; -4.8%) crimes against property; the number of crimes committed against public safety and public order was 4528 (+509; +12.7%); and the number of crimes committed against state authority was 434 (-22; -4.8%).
The detection rate has been improved and was 83.2% including detection of grave and especially grave crimes (+4.3%), robberies (+11.4%), hooliganism crimes (+2.8%) and drugs related crimes (+2.3%). In the result of appropriate measures, the detection rate for grave and especially grave crimes committed under unknown circumstances has been improved and reached 88.9% (+8.4%).
Within the structure of crimes against personality there were 6% (-5) intentional homicides, 16.3% (-7) attempted homicides, among crimes against property there were 6.8% (-86) facts of home burglary, 25% (-276) facts of roguishness, 48.7% (-37) facts of misappropriation or embezzlement, 6.5% (-6) facts of smuggling, 27% (-93) facts of hooliganism, 18.6% (-24) facts of ecological crimes.  
At the same time, the number of crimes committed in public spaces decreased by 21.5% (478-375).  
It should be noted that the total number of violence-related crimes was 3017 that is 125 facts less (-4%) than in the previous year. Among them there were 1116 (-123; -9.9%) crimes against women.
In the period of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), positive results are achieved owing to the timely and effective response to domestic assaults as well as purposeful preventive measures against such negative phenomena that disturb society, and the measures are continuing in this regard.
As a result, there were 607 domestic crimes over the republic in the first half of the year that is 40 facts less (-6.2%) than in the same period of the previous year, and 245 of them were committed in Baku (-13 or -5%).
Effective measures were taken against illegal turnover of drugs as a type of transnational organized crime, and particular efforts were made so that the volume of withdrawal of drugs would be larger than the volume of illegal turnover. As a result, 2785 (+475) drugs related crimes including 913 (+206) crimes committed for sale of drugs were detected and 1 ton 67 kg of narcotic substances were withdrawn from illegal circulation in the first half of 2020 (+256.5 kg in comparison with the same period of 2019). About 91 tons of illegally cultivated cannabis and poppy plants were detected and destroyed. 
Among 1840 persons involved in these crimes, 1226 (66.6%) were unemployed and uneducated, 541 (29.4%) were previously convicted, and 36 (2%) were women.
Adequate efforts were also made in the fight against trafficking in human beings in accordance with the relevant legislative acts and the National Action Plan.
In the reporting period, 116 (+1) human trafficking crimes were registered and 1 criminal group was neutralized. Within the investigation of the criminal cases on these facts 22 (-19) persons were brought to trial, 57 victims of human trafficking were reintegrated into the society.
In the result of the investigative and operational measures carried out jointly with the prosecutor's office, 241 unsolved crimes, including 36 grave and especially grave crimes, were solved.
Measures taken to ensure unavoidability of punishment for offence were also in the focus. 1821 (-31) persons who evaded the investigation and trial were detained including 241 (-25) persons charged with grave and especially grave crimes.
The National Central Bureau of Interpol determined the location of 47 internationally wanted persons and 23 persons wanted by the member states of this organization. A total result of investigative activities was 59.5 per cent.
In the result of investigative activities taken against organized crime as one of the main directions of law enforcement intelligence operations, 438 (+14) criminal groups, including 103 (+25) criminal groups which committed grave and especially grave crimes, were neutralized; 86 (+21) persons who were illegally holding and carrying firearms were held criminally liable.
Measures taken to ensure unavoidability of punishment for offence. In the result of appropriate measures 6765 perpetrators including 1140 persons accused of grave and especially grave crimes were brought to trial.  
 
The capital – Baku city
 
Baku is considered one of the safest and stable cities in comparison with the capitals of other CIS countries.
At present, the population of the capital is about 3 million people (officially registered).
Public order control is continuously carried out in the city by means of the “Safe City” System. Technical surveillance means are widely used to ensure abidance by traffic regulations, with the installation of new surveillance cameras the number of appropriate technical means reached 6913.
As in previous years, the metropolitan police achieved certain positive results in the field of combating crime and protection of rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of citizens during the reporting period, and discharged their duties effectively to maintain public order and security, particularly in republican and international mass events as well as in maintaining public order and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
42.5% of 12,602 crimes registered by the Internal Affairs bodies and prosecutor's office in the country during the 6 months of 2020 fall to the capital of Baku (5362).
85.3% of registered crimes were minor crimes and crimes not posing great threat to public safety and only 14.7% were grave and especially grave crimes.
There has been a decline by 2.4% in overall number of criminal facts, by 36.8% in attempted homicides, by 37.8% in intentional homicides, by 12.9% in severe bodily harm crimes, by 10.0% in crimes against property, 36.6% in roguishness, by half in ecological crimes, and by 2.2 times in hooliganism-related crimes as compared to the same period of 2019.
The detection rate for crimes committed under unknown circumstances was 65.4%. 94.8% of crimes against personality including 80% of assaults, 89.3% of intentional homicides, and 94.8% of intentional bodily harm were solved.
The dynamics of crimes committed against foreign citizens was stable. Their share doesn’t exceed 1 per cent. 43 of 52 crimes against foreign citizens (82.7%) were solved. Among these crimes, 27 or 62.7% were minor crimes and crimes not posing great threat to public safety including 4 facts of violation of traffic safety rules and service regulations.
The total number of acts of violence was 1134 that is 117 facts less than in the previous year (-9.4%). Among them there were 517 (-25; -4.6%) acts of violence against women.
The number of crimes committed in public places decreased by 35.1% and was 166 facts (93 of them were committed in streets, squares, parks, 73 in other public places, and 2 in the public transport).
In the result of the investigative and operational measures carried out jointly with the prosecutor's office, 143 unsolved crimes, including 29 grave and especially grave crimes, were solved.
Eleven facts of counterfeiting and passing off counterfeit money endangering the economic security of the country were detected in the result of operational activities.
Measures taken to ensure unavoidability of punishment for offence were also in the focus and 129 persons accused of grave and especially grave crimes were detained.  
 
 
 
                                   Main Operations & Statistics Department
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