The Collapse of the Law Enforcement System: A Threat to National Security - Suren Surenyan

The collapse of the law enforcement system has turned into a threat to national security. This was stated by political scientist Suren Surenyan.

“Every shot fired, every citizen ultimately feels that it has been fired at them,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared in a speech at the Investigative Committee, trying to understand “what is not being done” that crime rates continue to rise in Armenia. The answer, however, is clear and starts with the current government: law enforcement agencies are no longer instruments for upholding the law. They have turned into servants of the political power. The police and investigators are more occupied with carrying out political orders against opposition members than ensuring the safety of citizens.

In this environment, criminals feel a sense of impunity and act with greater confidence. Amateurism and non-professional approaches are disrupting the system from within. Appointments in investigative and law enforcement bodies are made not based on experience and knowledge, but on political loyalty. As a result, the system functions ineffectively.

Respect for the law is compromised from the top down. When the government itself violates the Constitution or circumvents laws, society begins to perceive this as the norm. If impunity is accepted at the state’s upper echelons, then crime on the streets is no longer seen as an exception.

A social crisis creates fertile ground for the growth of a criminal atmosphere. Lack of jobs, poverty, unjust distribution, and hopelessness drive people to criminal behavior, seeing it as a means of survival. Today, Armenia stands on a dangerous threshold: the fragmentation and collapse of the law enforcement system is no longer merely a governance failure, but has turned into a direct threat to national security. When the state cannot protect the lives of its citizens, public safety, and legality, not only public order is threatened, but also the state’s sovereignty and viability.

In response to Pashinyan's question, “What is not being done,” the answer is simple and unavoidable: the state is failing to fulfill its most fundamental duty to protect its citizens and restore the rule of law.”