MIA releases crime statistics
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, September 17
The Ministry of Interior Affairs states that in August of 2014, 2,405 crimes were registered, out of which 1,277 cases have been solved. The ministry stressed that the case solving index is 53.1% and says that comparing recent results with the results of the same period of the previous year, the crime level has decreased by 19.27%.
The ministry also provided information about the period of January-August 2014. According to official data, from January-August, 17,458 crimes were registered out of which 10,583 cases were solved.
There is speculation among the public that the crime rate has increased in the country. The opposition United National Movement claims that incidents of crime have increased under the current government. The UNM states that the statistics revealed by the ministry do not reflect the true situation. Along with the UNM, some analysts believe that in many cases people have refrained from addressing the police owing to various reasons including stereotypes, old-fashioned or criminal mentality, and less trust towards law-enforcement. They also stress that in some cases police officers register only those criminal cases that can be easily solved.
Opposition members accuse MIA chief Aleksandre Tchikaidze for the purported crime increase in the country. However, these statements are condemned by Georgian Dream leaders. PM Irakli Gharibashvili emphasizes that Tchikaidze is a worthy member of the cabinet, who does his best to fulfill his obligations appropriately. In his interview for Kvitis Palitra, founder of the Georgian Dream coalition Bidzina Ivanishvili also defended the interests of the MIA head.
Head of the Elections and Political Technologies Research Centre, Kakha Kakhishvili, states that there has been no increase in crime. However, the ministry should continue to focus on crime prevention activities.
Fellow analyst Levan Alapishvili believes that the large-scale amnesty has encouraged speculation over the crime rate. He also stressed that the public does not take the patrol police as the strong body they used to describe it as under the previous government. The analyst concludes that the current police administration should try to raise its rating among people through its mobilization and activeness.
Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili states that the statistical information released by the ministry should be more detailed.
“Statistics should not be general, they should be illustrated in detail,” Nanuashvili said.
