YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Tendency towards reduction of the level of crime is preserved in 2005, during the 9 months of this year the index of crimes per 10 thousand people makes 20.9 (against 25.2 last year). Police Major-General Hovhannes Hunanian, Deputy Head of RA Police, declared this at the November 7 press conference. According to him, 6724 cases of crime were registered in the 9 months of this year in the country compared with 8098 last year, reduction made 17% or 1374 cases. 1.2% of crimes falls to especially grave crimes (against 1.6% in the 9 months of 2004) and 32.8% to grave crimes (33.6%). H.Hunanian mentioned that grave crimes reduced by 18.8% (from 2719 to 2207) and especially grave crimes by 40.5% (from 131 to 78). A reduction of almost all main kinds of crimes was registred in the category of crimes against a man, including murders and attempted murders (from 89 to 52) and deliberate infliction of harm to human health (from 873 to 555). It was mentioned that tendency to reduction was also registered on the line of infringement of property. Thus, reduction was registered on the line of thefts (from 2187 to 1755), including apartment thefts (from 444 to 423), brigandages (from 96 to 75), stealing of transport means (from 90 to 65) and swindling (from 404 to 344). At the same time, a growth on the line of robberies (from 98 to 108) and misappropriation or theft (from 91 to 97) was registered in this sphere. 12 of murders or attempted murders registered in the 9 months of 2005 were committed by fire-arms. In total, 59 crimes were committed by fire-arms (77 crimes in 2004). In the period under review the Police bodies disclosed 166 cases of making and illegal circulation of arms and ammunition among the population, which is less by 17.8% compared with the last year index (202). 474 units of illegally kept arms were confiscated or voluntarily handed over in the period under review, thanks to the measures taken by the Police. This is more by 68.7% compared with the last year index (281). It was mentioned that this year the index of disclosure of crimes made 84.8% (83.5%). At the same time, according to H.Hunanian, some reduction was registered on indices on the line of infliction of harm to health, robbery and brigandage. The index of disclosure of crimes on quashed criminal cases improved by 138 cases or 19.3% in the above-mentioned period (in the 9 months of 2004 - 713, in the 9 months of 2005 851).

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