From the press conference of the head of the UMVS of Ukraine in the region, Oleksandr Kmita This year's press conference of the head of the UMVS of Ukraine in the region, Major General Oleksandr Kmita, was held these days at lightning speed and, as they say, ahead of schedule. This means that for some reason the chief of the Volyn militia summed up the results of the work of the department he heads even before it was analyzed at the collegium of the regional UVS, as was done in all previous years. What caused this is known only to the general. Perhaps a positive image of the activity of the Volyn militia was needed.

If one believes Oleksandr Viktorovych's optimistic report, then our law enforcement officers achieved outstanding achievements in their official activity. For those who doubt this, we can quote something from the major general's "report" to Volyn journalists:

"During 2004, the department of the MVS of Ukraine in the region took specific measures to change the dynamics and structure of crime, primarily by concentrating efforts on the prevention, detection and investigation of crimes committed under conditions of non-obviousness, strengthening the protection of public order in close interaction with local authorities, suppressing the illegal circulation of narcotic substances, and weakening the criminal influence on the state economy. The practical implementation of the above-mentioned comprehensive measures to stabilize the criminogenic situation in the region and their results confirmed the correctness of the course chosen by the leadership of the UMVS. This is objectively evidenced by the trend toward stabilization of crime."

Then the head of the UMVS of Ukraine in the region noted "positive shifts in ensuring offensive counteraction to crime, stabilization of the operational situation, further growth of public trust in the activity of the militia, a decrease in certain types of grave and especially grave crimes of a general criminal orientation, in particular, intentional grave bodily injuries by 21.2 percent, including those with fatal consequences by 15 percent, rapes by 46.7 percent, illegal seizures of motor vehicles by 21.9 percent."

And after that followed an almost euphoric statement that according to the rating of operational-search activity, Volyn has reached the honorable seventh (!) place in Ukraine. And in terms of the number of grave crimes solved, our detectives, it turns out, are the best in the state. How this was determined is hard to say.

Although, to be frank and to look realistically at the state of affairs, not everything is so good in "our Volyn home." This is evident at least from the following figures: over the past year, 920 crimes of an economic orientation were detected in the region. In priority sectors of the economy, 778 crimes were exposed. In 2004, the number of crimes committed by organized groups increased by 68.7 percent. During the same period, 23 criminal cases were opened in the region relating to crimes connected with human trafficking.

A few words about another important problem — countering drug addiction and combating the drug business, which long ago moved beyond the purely law-enforcement sphere and turned into an acute threat to the whole society. During 2004, 1,042 facts of illegal drug circulation were detected in Volyn. For this type of criminal activity, 929 persons were detained. Based on the exposed facts, 713 criminal cases were opened compared with 599 during the analogous period last year.

These figures may please some, as if to say, look how decisively and offensively we are fighting drug crime! But isn't it frightening what is happening in our region and why these figures grow from year to year?

Recalling the "honorable" seventh place in Ukraine, one could not help but notice that this indicator was "achieved" amid an increase in the number of intentional murders in the region. Three murders from last year remain unsolved as of today. Along with this, Oleksandr Kmita emphasized that "certain positive results have been achieved in solving crimes from previous years." Here it was so expected that the major general would recall the audacious murder back in May 2002 of the head of the Lutsk city department of internal affairs, militia lieutenant colonel Serhii Shvachka, which to this day remains unsolved. And throughout this 2.5-year period, all heads of law enforcement agencies of Volyn beat their chests and declare that solving this grave crime remains a matter of their honor. We will not speak of their honor, but we will frankly note: it seems that today it is not advantageous for some to return to that high-profile event.

At one of the recent press conferences for representatives of the mass media, the regional prosecutor Andrii Hil cited the following figures: in 2004, five criminal cases were opened against militia officers, three law enforcement officers were sentenced to imprisonment, and five more cases are currently under investigation. It is regrettable that Oleksandr Kmita did not name or comment on any of these cases, as if they had not existed.

As is proper at a press conference, there were also questions for the head of the UMVS of Ukraine in the region. Thus, I asked why, with his arrival in this position, high-profile crimes began to be concealed in the UVS, to which Oleksandr Kmita was extremely surprised. Then I had to cite specific examples, in particular, the receipt of a bribe by a judge in Shatsk, the suicide of a militia major in Kovel, the murder of a person in May in Novovolynsk, the tragic road traffic accident in Lokachynskyi district involving a militia officer... To which, unfortunately, I never received an answer. But the general at the same time immediately instructed the new head of the public relations center of the UMVS of Ukraine in the region, militia lieutenant colonel Oleksandr Romanchuk, to promptly inform journalists in the future about all crimes and events without exception occurring in the territory of our region.

It is clear that Oleksandr Kmita also spoke about the problems and difficulties that occur in the activity of Volyn militia officers, which prevent law enforcement officers from more successfully performing their official duties. At the end of his speech, the general complained about the living conditions of his subordinates. In particular, he noted that "friction" had appeared with the Lutsk city council related to the allocation and receipt by militia officers of 12 apartments in a newly built building. Of course, the general did not name the surnames and positions of the candidates for the new homes...

Roman FLISHAROVSKYI