Juvenile crime in the Vitebsk region decreased by 20% last year. 

January 20, Vitebsk . Juvenile crime in the Vitebsk Region has decreased by 20% over the past year. Dmitry Prudnikov, Head of the Department for the Organization of Juvenile Affairs Inspectorates of the Crime Prevention Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Department of Internal Affairs, announced this at a meeting at the Vitebsk Region Media Center, BelTA reports.

Representatives of the police and the OSVOD met with schoolchildren at the Vitebsk Region Media Center to discuss safety measures.

"Currently, individual preventive work is being conducted with more than 1,200 minors in the Vitebsk Region who have crossed the line of the law . Last year, teenagers committed 140 crimes. The most common crime was the secret theft of property. Bicycles, scooters, and electric scooters, as well as forgotten items, were most often stolen," said Dmitry Prudnikov.
He added that the most common crimes among teenagers were fraud (most often the sale of non-existent items, such as tickets to a concert of a famous pop group or mobile phones), malicious hooliganism, theft using information technology (withdrawing money from found bank cards or through online stores), and the use or sale of narcotic psychotropic substances. Regarding the latter, nine such crimes were recorded in the region last year—half the number in 2024. "The offenses most frequently committed by minors are drinking alcohol or appearing intoxicated in public places," Dmitry Prudnikov clarified.

He noted that the number of crimes committed by teenagers is declining each year. 

At the event, schoolchildren were also given recommendations on safe behavior near bodies of water, railways, and the internet.