Juvenile crime in the Vitebsk region decreased by 25.4% in January-September

October 8, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The number of offenses among minors in the Vitebsk region decreased by 25.4% to 412 crimes in January-September. This was announced today at an interdepartmental meeting on preventing drunkenness and alcoholism among adolescents by Irina Yanukovich, Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the Vitebsk Region for Supervision of the Enforcement of Legislation on Minors and Youth, BELTA correspondent reports. "Today, the problem of juvenile delinquency in the region is no longer as acute as it was a few years ago. There is a stable positive trend in the reduction of juvenile crimes," noted Irina Yanukovich. Thus, the share of youth offenses in the total crime volume for the first nine months was 4.5% compared to the national average of 5.1%. The number of young people involved in criminal activities has decreased. The number of offenses committed by adolescents while intoxicated is decreasing. In January-September, their number decreased by 46% to 68 cases. The effective prevention system established in the region has allowed these results to be achieved, said the prosecutor, emphasizing that despite the positive shifts, a number of problems remain that require the close attention of all interested departments. In particular, the activities of narcological institutions are not sufficiently widespread. Preventive work aimed at early identification of at-risk adolescents needs to be intensified. -0-