What would the robbery scene in the movie "Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession" look like if it was filmed today?

Law enforcement officers told why thieves are now even taking out Christmas trees and toilet lids from houses, and how the scene of the robbery of the dentist Shpak from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession” would radically differ from the original if it were filmed today.

... where are the spirits and the screwdriver?

According to Oleg Zinevich, senior inspector of the SIOS of the Salihorsk District Department of Internal Affairs, thefts remain one of the most common types of crimes, but significant changes have taken place in their structure. Remember how in the famous film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" recidivist thief Georges Miloslavsky robbed the dentist Shpak in a simple way: he found out when the owner was not at home, entered the dwelling and stole "everything that was acquired by overwork"? This image of a criminal is typical of the 1970s.

- Today, this scene in the film would look different: Shpak himself invites the unfamiliar Miloslavsky to his home and even treats him to ALCOHOL. Some time after the guest leaves, he discovers the loss of property - money, tape recorders and foreign cigarette cases, - Oleg Stepanovich explains and clarifies: most thefts in 2021 were committed like this.

Here is one of the cases. A man turned to the Salihorsk District Department of Internal Affairs - food, a bottle of eau de toilette, a screwdriver and a perforator were missing from his apartment. There were no signs of breaking in, and the victim assured that he did not leave the house for a long time.

The investigative team concluded that the suspect should be sought among those who knew the victim. Version confirmed. The thief turned out to be a friend of the victim. While the owner of the apartment was talking on the balcony of the landing with a friend, the robber entered the apartment through the unlocked front door.

- Always lock the door, even if you go out for a short time, - our interlocutor recommends and remarks: - Do not lose vigilance if you invite unfamiliar people to your apartment. Attackers can work in pairs: while one distracts the owner, the other steals property.

... where is the phone, clock and tree?

One of the recent robberies surprised even experienced operatives with its senselessness. It was like this: a 64-year-old Soligorsk resident was drinking at home with a 29-year-old casual acquaintance. Intoxicated, the guest decided to appropriate the things of the pensioner that he liked. The robber's booty turned out to be very modest: an old mobile phone, two wristwatches, an artificial Christmas tree and ... a toilet lid. The victim turned to the police for help only a couple of days later, and then on the advice of neighbors. The thief was detained several hours later from the moment the application was received by the regional department.

…where is the money and conscience?

In October 2021, a pensioner lost $4,500. The person involved in their disappearance was quickly found: it turned out to be a 20-year-old grandson. Going to visit his grandmother, the young man discovered the currency, first took a part, and later the remaining savings. The pensioner kept a large amount in a pillow. Despite the efficiency of the detectives, they managed to return less than a quarter of the stolen goods - the grandson managed to lose the rest on sports Internet bets. Now he faces up to seven years in prison.

Police officers once again remind: keeping money in bed linen, under a mattress or in other places where outsiders have access is not the best solution.

In just a couple of days, two similar criminal cases were initiated in Soligorsk. In one case, after a visit by a 41-year-old man, a woman did not find 180 rubles in her jacket pocket. In the second, a resident of the village of Krasnaya Sloboda stole a wallet with 600 rubles from a fellow villager. In both cases, the suspects were familiar with the victims, they themselves invited them to visit them, arranged a feast.

… where is the smartphone and friend?

A 34-year-old Salihorsk resident turned to the police for help: his smartphone and ... a friend, whom he let in to live for some time, disappeared. To a greater extent, the man was interested in the location of the gadget. The owner guessed that the guest had robbed him. During the day on duty, the suspect was detained. They also found a stolen smartphone in one of the pawnshops. For committing a crime, a lover of someone else's good faces up to three years in prison.

According to Oleg Zinevich, thefts during the absence of the owners at least occur less frequently, but have not gone down in history.

“Last year, serial house thieves were detained, who committed more than 30 thefts in the villages of Kopyl, Kletsk, Slutsk and Soligorsk regions, where most of the houses are used as summer cottages,” our interlocutor notes. - Malefactors changed ways of penetration into dwellings, and each their theft happened as far as possible from the previous one. True, all the secrecy measures they took only delayed the moment of detention.

So that your responsiveness and gullibility does not lead to a crime:

- do not let people into your home who introduce themselves as employees of social services, employees of the city gas, city council, if they cannot present an identity document and their position;

- do not invite strangers to your place, especially beggars or those who sell things, household appliances, tools;

- be careful when the doorbell rings for you, do not rush to open it, use the door peephole;

- if you live alone, do not tell unfamiliar people about it, do not arrange a meeting with strangers at home;

- if the lights suddenly go out in the apartment, do not immediately go out to the landing: criminals can turn off the electricity to lure you out;

- do not drink alcohol with unfamiliar people at home;

- when leaving home, close windows, vents and balcony doors, and do not leave the key to the front door in easily accessible places.

- if the crime could not be prevented, immediately contact law enforcement agencies. Finding thieves or scammers is much easier in hot pursuit.

Marina VALAKH,

newspaper.