In a raid on shelters

One of the main problems for law enforcement officers is drunkenness and alcoholism. These two issues lead to others, such as family conflicts, hooliganism, thefts, and other crimes. The problem becomes particularly acute before holidays when so-called "dens" gather undesirable company.

Therefore, by a joint decision of the regional prosecutor's office, the Internal Affairs Directorate, and the Emergency Situations Department of the regional executive committee, a preventive action "Where there is a den — visit this house" was held in Vitebsk region from December 26 to 30. It also took place in the Braslav region. For several days, district inspectors of the RAUS and RANS employees jointly visited the settlements of the district, checking those houses where, according to operational data, drinkers often gather. On the last day of the action, the raid group, consisting of the deputy prosecutor of the district, Syarhei Halimbouski, the senior inspector for prevention of the RAUS, Maksim Skur'yat, and the senior inspector of RANS, Yauhen Vysotski, went to the urban "dens". In total, there are 11 addresses of individuals listed who lead asocial lifestyles and contribute to this. The raid group visited all of them.

The main goal of the joint raid is to warn individuals who have turned their homes into dens, as well as to control the gathering of people there. In general, for district inspectors, visiting such places is a common occurrence, but it is prudent to check them again before the holidays.

The hosts, if they can be called that, were surprised when they saw law enforcement representatives on their doorstep in the morning.

— As a rule, all those we visit are drinkers, so their doors are open to all similar individuals. It is impossible to call these premises housing. In the pursuit of the bottle, the unfortunate hosts forget that there should be order at home, and their apartments and houses turn into filthy premises. Even worse, after such meetings, crimes occur either in the dens themselves or already on the street, — says Maksim Skur'yat.

The raid group visited asocial individuals in the morning, possibly because of this, they did not find undesirable company in any of the dens. However, what was seen could surprise any normal person. In most of the visited places, the hosts were drunk. An unpleasant smell, scattered belongings everywhere, empty bottles, lack of furniture, and dirt. This picture was almost in every apartment. Nevertheless, the law enforcement officers, who urged them to stop drinking and put their houses in order, were looked at with surprise by the hosts. They cannot imagine any other way of life.

— Fire service employees also have something to focus on here. The houses have faulty heating, poor electrical wiring, and "bugs" in the electric meters. Such dens pose a danger both to their hosts and visitors, as well as to neighbors. Smoking in bed or a faulty stove can lead to fires, — emphasizes Yauhen Vysotski.

In general, the organizers of the dens can be held accountable for "violating the rules of using residential premises". By the way, if citizens are aware of cases where houses and apartments are turning into dens, they can report this to the police. This time, the raid group limited itself to several administrative protocols for inadequate fire safety and appeals to the conscience of the hosts. Whether it will awaken, time will tell.