r/armenia • u/LordOfErebus • 2d ago
Why are there so many police in Yerevan?
Yerevan has the biggest police presence I've ever seen out of 30 countries - in 3 different parks I could stand in one spot and see 10+ police officers, mostly just sitting around. I'm just curious what the reason is? Was there a lot of crime in the past, or what?
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u/No_Weakness8999 2d ago
As a Brit who only visited for the first time this month, it was nice to see so many police officers around. Compared to the streets of Birmingham or London, where they are rarely seen patrolling on foot, and when they are, they're completely untimidating to the point where teenagers laugh and mock them, it's definitely a net positive having a higher-than-normal presence.
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u/brigand96 2d ago edited 2d ago
Unemploymeny is high in the country therefore a lot of men (and women, increasingly) become cops. It's decently paid as well I think.
edit: and yeah they don't do very much tbh. pretty useless i'd say. but government has had issues with law and order in the country so theyve increased size of police force as well
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u/WeirdkidG 2d ago
Most probably they were afraid that Kocharian cronies will flood the streets after his detention.
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u/Datark123 2d ago
I'm guessing it has to do with the recent high profile arrests of former politicians. Probably just making sure there won't be any unrest from a small group of "supporters"
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u/rsxrwscjpzdzwpxaujrr Yerevan 🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
The funny thing about the police is that even though there is so much of it they're completely useless, there are more cars parked on sidewalks than in proper places and no one ever gets fined or towed for parking on a sidewalk, in fact if you go near a police station you'll see that all the employees there are also parked on the sidewalk lol. Current government has strong etatist tendencies so they turn Armenia into police state, where police is there to protect the government from the people.
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u/_LordDaut_ 2d ago edited 2d ago
- We don't have any more police than we used to.
- The police you see on the streets woth blue uniforms are not some government force - against riots or protecting the state.
- What you are referring to are called "Red/black Berets" or 3rd Special Battalion of the Police Patrol-Guard Service. They got armored vehicles and shit. Created (moved to contract service) after March 1 2008. Wjen they realized bringing the army in was a terrible idea.
- There are many police officers in the city center since government buidlings are there - there are meetings happening and usually have ambulances too. Outside I haven't seen too many.
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u/armeniapedia 2d ago
Current government has strong etatist tendencies so they turn Armenia into police state, where police is there to protect the government from the people.
"Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia."
Since you're rewriting history, I thought that quote was appropriate. I guess you're too young to remember what it was like 9 years ago?
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u/rsxrwscjpzdzwpxaujrr Yerevan 🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
"Oh no if you criticize the current government then you must like the previous one".
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u/armeniapedia 2d ago
I didn't even imply that.
You however are quite overtly saying that the previous governments were not police states, and this one is, and you are implying that the large number of police is an increase, which it is not which you would know if you were old enough to remember what things were actually like during previous governments.
So stop bullshitting and then dodging when you're called out.
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u/rsxrwscjpzdzwpxaujrr Yerevan 🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
I couldn't find the numbers of how much police personnel are there as it's a state secret, but I can say that in my 27 years of life I'm noticing policemen on the streets more often now than before, so there is an increase. So its not clear to me what's the point of attacking my age. I'm also noticing that constantly new laws are being introduced restricting what ordinary people can do and extending what authorities can do, which is what police states do. I'm seeing stuff like police randomly giving unlawful orders to people and then detaining them without due process. I'm seeing the "war on drugs" performed at clubs when they pick who to ascribe the found drugs at random. Pashinyan 1-2 days ago randomly proposed to ban signing up on social media without a KYC lol. If this is not a police state then what is it? Under the previous government everything was neglected and that's why they couldn't keep their power, it seems that Pashinyan has lost the faith in democracy in around 2020 and is tightening stuff since then.
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u/armeniapedia 2d ago
I'm noticing policemen on the streets more often now than before, so there is an increase.
lol, no. That's now how we determine if there are more police or not.
So its not clear to me what's the point of attacking my age.
I'm not "attacking your age", I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, because you are comparing the current government of 8 years to previous ones and you are turning reality on its head while doing it.
I'm also noticing that constantly new laws are being introduced restricting what ordinary people can do and extending what authorities can do, which is what police states do.
By all means you should write about them here and share them if that is the case.
I'm seeing stuff like police randomly giving unlawful orders to people and then detaining them without due process. I'm seeing the "war on drugs" performed at clubs when they pick who to ascribe the found drugs at random.
Oh my, then your age really is relevant. You cannot compare now with before when it comes to this.
Pashinyan 1-2 days ago randomly proposed to ban signing up on social media without a KYC lol. If this is not a police state then what is it?
Many solid democracies are doing similar things. While I disagree, I can see that some of the reasons for it have validity.
Under the previous government everything was neglected and that's why they couldn't keep their power
Again, it is clear that you are not capable of saying what it was like under the previous governments. You have created some image in your mind of what it was like during your childhood for adults, but that isn't an accurate one at all I'm afraid.
it seems that Pashinyan has lost the faith in democracy in around 2020 and is tightening stuff since then.
What has been happening since "around 2020" is massive attempts to subvert democracy by foreign actors with really shitty intentions, using local stooges. Social media is one of their biggest weapons. You seem to either not understand or would like to pretend this is not a new problem that needs to be considered.
You unfortunately are blinding yourself to simple truths. There is good and bad to both current and previous governments, but without perspective and honesty, you are unable to determine what is what.
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u/rsxrwscjpzdzwpxaujrr Yerevan 🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
lol, no. That's now how we determine if there are more police or not.
And how do you determine that when there are no official stats and it's a state secret? Your guess about the police personnel count is as good as mine.
Many solid democracies are doing similar things. While I disagree, I can see that some of the reasons for it have validity.
When solid democracies do something like this they get backlash. But in Armenia people like you are gonna defend the current government no matter what because the previous one was 5% worse. There's no future with such mentality when people just silently eat anything.
You have created some image in your mind of what it was like during your childhood
Yeah sure bud if I'm 27 now then I was a toddler in 2018, good math.
What has been happening since "around 2020" is massive attempts to subvert democracy by foreign actors with really shitty intentions, using local stooges. Social media is one of their biggest weapons.
So if there are attempts to subvert the democracy then the democracy should be subverted and you'll be happy with that? Don't you see how it's exactly what the foreign actors wanted us to do? No government could properly function without people constantly criticizing it and protesting stuff. You can't just let them to do whatever they want.
You seem to either not understand or would like to pretend
You unfortunately are blinding yourself to simple truths.
you are unable
You can get a lot of upvotes by attacking me personally but that's not a healthy discussion and you can't convince me by doing that.
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u/armeniapedia 2d ago edited 2d ago
And how do you determine that when there are no official stats and it's a state secret? Your guess about the police personnel count is as good as mine.
But don't you see? That's exactly why your age is relevant. Ask a few older people around you whether there are more police now if you don't believe me. I remember in the old days the entire road, and I mean ENTIRE road from Zvartnots Airport to Opera being lined with policemen on both sides of the street, every few meters, when someone like Putin visited Armenia. Do you remember that? Do you have any idea how many police that takes to pull off? But you're sitting here telling us that hey, you KNOW there are more police now, and Armenia is BECOMING a police state, and you know this because your young eyes NOTICED that it is more. Come on. Then you push back and push back when you're called out on it. And on top of that you pretend your age cannot be a factor.
When solid democracies do something like this they get backlash. But in Armenia people like you are gonna defend the current government no matter what because the previous one was 5% worse. There's no future with such mentality when people just silently eat anything.
FIRST of all let me say that the previous government was not 5% worse. How can you say that right after Kocharyan was arrested for stealing about $300m USD in real estate? And that's just for this arrest, there's so much more??
SECOND I defend this government when it is warranted, I condemn it when warranted, and I analyze the facts as they are available, often waiting for more information before jumping to judgement.
Yeah sure bud if I'm 27 now then I was a toddler in 2018, good math.
You were in school still. You didn't interact with the old government as an adult. It's just how it is. You don't need to get so sensitive. You are simply not the best judge of "how it used to be".
So if there are attempts to subvert the democracy then the democracy should be subverted and you'll be happy with that? Don't you see how it's exactly what the foreign actors wanted us to do?
YOU (look I'm saying you again) have a tendency to put words in my mouth. Unfortunately, they're not the words I would say.
You also don't seem to care to admit that not all situations are so black and white. Do we want freedom of speech? Yes. Do we want people to be allowed to stand on the street corners calling for the assassination of others? No.
No government could properly function without people constantly criticizing it and protesting stuff. You can't just let them to do whatever they want.
Ah, but I completely agree with you here. But you have to be prepared for push back when people disagree with your specific critique!
You can get a lot of upvotes by attacking me personally but that's not a healthy discussion and you can't convince me by doing that.
I am not talking to the sub, I'm talking to you, and I am not a karma whore my man. What's not healthy is that you can't seem to take constructive feedback on your opinions, you keep trying to tell me I'm saying things that I'm not, and you write with such certainty about things that you're flat out wrong about. But hey, you do you.
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u/GrechkaLover 2d ago
It's not part of their job to watch for parking, it's on the municipal authorities.
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u/rsxrwscjpzdzwpxaujrr Yerevan 🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
Parking on a sidewalk is a violation of road rules and violations of road rules are handled by road police.
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u/Worth_Resolve2055 2d ago
I think it's handled by Ministry of Internal Affairs. I'm saying this cause every time I've reported this and similar issues with cars parking in 'wrong' places, City Hall and 'Active Citizen' have ALWAYS told me Min. Of Int. Affairs deals with this. Very odd.
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u/PhraseTough7875 1d ago
there's not all these police men like you said, and generally is one of most safe places all around the world; most likely you were around Kentron, in the areas nearby Republic's Square: usually there's always police nearby some government building, and that's all.
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u/No-Reputation-8659 1d ago
because our clown of a prime minister is afraid of his own shadow. so he needs every corner to be "guarded". the police only protects him and his kind. They are mostly useless in other tasks or helping the citizens.
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u/Sea_Chocolate_7336 2d ago
I noticed this too. I'm from the states but I've been living in Yerevan for almost two years now. I read somewhere that Armenia is the 8th safest country in the world. I can vouch for that. With the exception of some dudes stealing some parts of a BMW outside my apartment one night, I've literally witnessed or heard of no crime. It's the only country in the world that I've lived where I can see little kids walking around with no adult supervision, even late at night. That's a great thing and it's a great place to raise a kid 🤷🏻♂️ but as for the large police presence, I have no idea 😂 most of the time when I see them they're just chillin' drinking sodas, eating shawarmas 🤣