No Firearm-Related Crimes Recorded in Vayots Dzor Province; Police Summarizes First Half of 2026

On July 24, Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan summarized the activities of the Vayots Dzor Provincial Police for the first half of 2026. During this period, the department recorded 87 crimes, with a notable 25% decrease in serious crimes and a 37.8% decline in heavy crimes. Meanwhile, crimes against individuals increased by 57.6%, while property crimes saw a reduction of 21.7%. Notably, residential burglaries decreased significantly by 88.9%. However, there was an increase in thefts carried out using computer technology. Importantly, no firearm-related crimes were reported in Vayots Dzor Province during this reporting period.

Overall, there has been an increase in crimes related to public safety, public order, and the health of the population, primarily due to the identification of cases involving individuals driving vehicles without proper licenses. In the community police department in Yeghnadzor, 181 crimes were recorded, with 150 cases or 82.9% being solved. No crimes were committed by minors, although offenses against minors increased.

In the community police department of Vayk, 109 crimes were registered, with 97 cases solved, resulting in an 89% detection rate. The increase was mainly attributed to the discovery of crimes affecting public safety and order, including latent offenses, while property crimes decreased by 42.9%. No crimes were committed by minors.

In the community police department of Jermuk, 31 crimes were recorded, with 26 or 83.9% resolved. The total number of crimes fell by 24.4%. However, incidents of domestic violence increased, while no crimes were reported by minors. Vayots Dzor patrol officers solved 31 cases of crime. A total of 17,007 administrative violations were recorded, which is an increase of 291 compared to the same period last year. There has been a rise in traffic accidents, casualties, and injuries.

The head of the Yeghnadzor State Protection Department of the police presented results on maintaining public order, ensuring the security of facilities, organizing services during mass events, and collaboration with other police units. Summarizing the results of the Vayots Dzor Province activities for the first half of 2026, Arpine Sargsyan expressed gratitude for the work done and issued several recommendations, particularly to analyze each negative indicator recorded, identify their causes, and take appropriate measures.

The Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized the need to enhance efforts in revealing and preventing crime, especially considering the unique characteristics of Vayots Dzor Province and its low crime rate. Addressing electoral crimes reported in the province, Arpine Sargsyan instructed the continuation of diligent efforts in verifying operational information and fully clarifying each case.

In the context of decreasing property crimes, the minister stressed the need to improve detection efficiency and continue preventive measures. The Minister assessed the efforts to detect illegal weapons and ammunition as insufficient, directing an increase in operational and investigative measures and collaboration between departments. Special attention was also drawn to combating drug trafficking.

The Minister addressed the work with minors, instructing not to relax preventive measures, maintain proper records, regularly visit educational institutions, and deepen cooperation with partner organizations. Arpine Sargsyan highlighted the necessity of ensuring an immediate and appropriate response to every call regarding cases of family and domestic violence, to assess risks, and to carry out consistent monitoring to prevent and exclude repeat offenses.

Referring to the increase in traffic accidents, the minister issued strict directives to analyze the causes, intensify traffic control, especially in accident-prone areas. The leaders of the guard units were instructed to actively engage in preventing violations and solving crimes. The Minister mentioned that the greater initiative of the service members would improve the quality of work, and subsequently, the efficiency of crime detection and prevention.