YEREVAN. - The number of registered crimes in Armenia has increased by 9 percent, or by 1,007 cases, in the first half of 2019. Chief of the Police Staff, Armen Ghukasyan, stated this at a press conference on Wednesday.

In his words, this is primarily due to an increase in the number of thefts.

“The increase in [these] cases is also due to the fact that in connection with the change in the situation [in the country] since the previous year [when a velvet revolution occurred in Armenia], the Republic of Armenia citizens’ trust in police activity has increased, and people don’t stay away [anymore] from going to police,” Ghukasyan noted.

In this connection, the chief of the Police Staff stressed that the Police of Armenia had received 93,874 crime reports during the first six months of 2018, whereas this number was 109,087 in the first six months of the current year.

“That number has passed 100,000 for the first time,” Armen Ghukasyan added, “which is unprecedented.”