Dozens of calls per shift. Patrol officers talk about special assignments and unusual cases. 

During one shift they can have dozens of calls: a child is lost, neighbors are making noise at night, a group of people is drinkingALCOHOL at the entrance, family squabbles... A correspondent from the newspaper "7 Days" went on a patrol with officers from the Partizansky District Police Department in MINSK to get an inside look at what law enforcement officers sometimes have to deal with on duty.

Special Assignment:

Every day, not only foot police units but also car patrols are on duty on the streets of Minsk. This allows for greater mobility: promptly spotting violations and responding immediately when someone needs help.

We join the car patrol outside the Partizansky District Police Department building just after six in the evening. Our shiftLaw enforcement officers began their shift at 11 a.m. The eight hours of the shift passed relatively calmly, but it's too early to relax—Friday evening lies ahead.

It's difficult to say how many calls there are on average per shift: every day is different. Most often, police assistance is needed when domestic disputes break out or complaints are received about neighbors making noise after 11 p.m. The heaviest workload occurs on weekends and holidays.

"Sometimes, even weekdays can be hectic. For example, a husband returns after work and greets the evening with a bottle of alcohol, but his wife doesn't like it. One word leads to another, and that's how the conflict begins," says Senior Sergeant Yuri Payuta, a police officer with the second group of the patrol platoon of the Partizansky District Department of Internal Affairs in Minsk.
In addition to maintaining public order, the patrol car carries out additional tasks. Today, for example, they're checking apartments where Minsk residents registered with the police live. We're also dispatched to certain addresses.

In the courtyard of the building we're looking for, near the entrance, a man is sitting on a bench holding a tin can. We stop. The patrol officers approach him, but for some reason the man doesn't even try to hide what he's drinking.

"It's non-alcoholic," the man says, dispelling any doubts and showing the label. "I'm just sitting quietly on the bench, relaxing, I'm going home now.

" "Remind me: you had a warning that drinking alcoholic beverages is prohibited in public places, didn't you?" the patrol officers ask, and after receiving an affirmative answer, they continue: "It's good that the measures you took have had an effect and you're not repeating past mistakes. Moreover, children often play in your courtyard —you shouldn't set a bad example for them."

Warrant Officer Artur Ivanovsky, a driver with the patrol and inspection service platoon of the Partizansky District Department of Internal Affairs in Minsk, reminds the man what awaits him in the event of a repeat violation of administrative law, says goodbye, and continues on his way.

A man meets the officers at the first address on the list. According to information received, a Minsk resident may be hiding in his apartment, a woman who evades child support payments and allows herself to appear drunk in public places.

The owner insists he hasn't seen his girlfriend. He invites you to view his place. Immediately upon entering the apartment, the smell of cheap cigarettes mixed with dampness hits your nose. The floor creaks when you walk, and your shoe soles stick to it. It's clear no one has cleaned the place in a while. And yet, the Minsk resident has plenty of free time: he's unemployed and lives off his compassionate sister, who brings him groceries and pays the utilities. Incidentally, the resourceful woman installed a video camera at the entrance to the apartment and threatens to immediately call the police if any uninvited guests appear. The patrol officers make a note in a notebook to pass the information on to the local police officer, who will conduct a professional interview and refer the Minsk resident to the employment center. If needed, he can help with documents and even assist with education. A

stepfather and stepson live in the apartment at the next address. They were reported to law enforcement for fighting with each other. We're greeted at the door by the owner, yelling at his dog to stop barking. The dog obeys. We go inside. The walls in the rooms are yellowed from tobacco smoke; it's hard to tell when they cleaned.

"Are you no longer entertaining people in your apartment? How are things with employment?" Yuri Payuta asks the owner.

"Those days are long gone," he assures. "We haven't had guests in a long time, and we don't go to anyone else's." The local police officer helped us change our lifestyle and find and get a job.

The fruits of prevention:

We couldn't get into the next apartment along the route. And none of the neighbors answered the intercom. The police knocked on the window to wake the owners, but no one was home. This is a violation—the information will be documented and sent to the criminal executive inspectorate, where they will take action.

At this time, a woman from the neighboring house contacted the patrol officers, saying that noisy parties were constantly held there in the summer. It was so loud that we had to close the windows at night.

"It's quiet now; thank God, no one's sitting on the benches anymore. The local police officer probably sent us to the LTP or they're hanging around somewhere else. They might be at Yurka's, by the way," the neighbor suggests, giving the address where the suspect might be. The patrolman passed the information on to the next patrol.

The patrolman's platoon commander's map of the area marks crime hotspots where crimes and violations have previously occurred. These are often courtyards or areas adjacent to liquor stores.

"There's a building on our route where the residents are close friends and used to meet by chance near the entrance and drink alcohol there. Vigilant neighbors would immediately call 911 to calm the noisy residents down. When we arrived, they would immediately scatter. Last year, we visited that building often, but now it's quiet. The preventative measures worked," concludes Yuri Payuta.

According to the patrol car crew, their primary focus is crime prevention and enforcement. After all, the 24-hour presence of car and foot patrols on the city streets neutralizes the desire to break the law .

Unusual Calls:

While driving around the city, we also discussed the unusual cases law enforcement officers have encountered.

"There are quite a few," notes Artur Ivanovsky. "Most often, we respond to family disputes. Once, at 4 a.m., we received a call about... infidelity. The wife caught her husband in the apartment, burst into tears, and didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe what had happened and demanded that he be held accountable. My partner and I managed to calm her down and remind her: life goes on.

And recently, a showdown between another couple ended with them pouring wine on each other. Or once a man reported to the police, claiming his wife was pressuring him with unfounded claims that he wasn't taking care of her. As a counterargument, the man showed the officers a receipt for a new, expensive sheepskin coat, his fifth.

Law enforcement officers also have to literally save lives. Artur Ivanovsky remembers one shift vividly.

"While patrolling a private sector, we noticed a flickering light in the distance. We decided to check it out, and it was worth it. While I was knocking on the windows and waking the owners, my partner called the Ministry of Emergency Situations . The flames quickly grew, and by the time the firefighters arrived, the roof was completely engulfed in flames . Our vigilance saved two lives. We work to provide assistance to everyone who needs it," the police officer concludes.

Vadim KONDRATYUK,
photo by the author and senior inspector of the Partizansky District Department of Internal Affairs,
newspaper "7 Dney."