When loved ones don't get in touch. How the criminal investigation works

The work of criminal investigation officers requires endurance, attentiveness and the ability to quickly make decisions. The operatives search for people escaping from the investigation and court, locate the missing and help families in difficult situations. About the weekdays of service to the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti” told Lieutenant Colonel of police Vitaly Baranov, more than 16 years working in the criminal investigation of the Leninsky district.

Vitaly Baranov began his way in the internal affairs bodies with patrol and post service. This experience helped him learn to quickly assess the situation and analyze what is happening. After graduating from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, he became a criminal investigation officer.

The criminal investigation service does not know the routine: there are no template situations, each new crime is a unique story. We are always in touch and ready to help at any time. The search for missing people is also conducted around the clock, Baranov said.

Today, the officer holds the position of senior operative for especially important cases of the department of search work of the criminal investigation department of the criminal police. His duties include the search for missing citizens, as well as fugitives and debtors in civil cases. One of the main directions of his work is to establish the whereabouts of the missing people.

According to V. Baranov, people can lose contact with loved ones after a conflict, not answer calls or suddenly disappear from the field of view of relatives.

- Finding the missing is an important and responsible task. Sometimes it takes minutes, so you need to quickly assess the situation and choose the right strategy. Behind each line in the orientation are human fate, family anxiety and hope for a prosperous outcome, the officer said.

V. Baranov shared stories from official practice, in which family conflicts became the reason for applying to the police.

In one case, a teenager quarreled with his parents over his studies. He packed his belongings, left his mobile phone at home so that his loved ones could not determine his location by geolocation, and went to the village to see his grandmother. The operatives established where the teenager was, after which the parents were able to calm down.

In another situation, the girl decided to teach her parents a lesson, who refused her to buy the desired toy. A few days later, she went to the playground and turned off her phone. The parents tried to find the daughter on their own, but soon turned to the police, fearing that trouble could happen to the child.

- The story ended safely: the girl was found in another area, Baranov said.

Such cases show how different the circumstances of a person’s disappearance can be. Even if the cause seems close to insignificant, the unknown and lack of connection can cause serious concern.

Service in criminal investigation requires constant readiness for work, attentive attitude to detail and the ability to act in conditions of uncertainty. For operatives, it is important not only to establish the location of the person, but also to do everything possible so that he returns to his loved ones.

For reference

Every year on October 5, the Day of formation of criminal investigation units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus is celebrated.

Photo courtesy of Lenin district police department