Greek passports: The validity period increases to 10 years

For his legislative work Ministry of Citizen Protection with the discussion in Parliament of the bill to upgrade police training and increasing the duration of Greek passports from 5 to 10 yearsthe Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, spoke at SKAI show “Mismatched” and the Yannis Tsounos.

He emphasized that Greece was one of the few countries in the European Union that had passports valid for five years and that with the regulation submitted to the Parliament, it is increased to 10 years.

“In this way we are harmonizing with what is happening in almost the whole of the European Union and developed states across the Earth. We avoid significant financial and administrative costs. The bureaucracy to serve the citizen and especially the Greeks abroad is reduced. Police forces are released. It is a situation from which both the state and all Greek citizens benefit in terms of security and better utilization of our forces”, Mr. Theodorikakos characteristically noted.

Referring to the fires, the Minister emphasized that there was substantial coordination and no human lives were endangered, and that the Police forces played an important role in this, which on the front lines of the fires took care of the regulation of traffic, the safe removal of citizens from dangerous areas areas and the protection of their assets.

At the same time, he underlined that the training of the Greek police officers is being decisively upgraded. “The Academy of Greek Police Officers becomes a university school with the bill being discussed in the Parliament. It becomes equivalent to the productive schools of the Armed Forces, with a very high level of knowledge and studies. With its own faculty members, i.e. with its own professors who will be elected and make up the teaching staff. With the best European practices. This is a great upgrade with postgraduate studies as well, with the possibility of evaluating and certifying this level of studies”.

The Minister referred to the patrols that take place in forest areas, mainly in the basin, and to the participation of the Hellenic Police in investigating the causes of the recent fire in Penteli.

The main points of the interview of the Minister of Citizen Protection:

The level of police training is changing

The training of Greek police officers is being decisively upgraded. The Academy of Greek Police Officers becomes a university school with the bill being discussed in the Parliament. It becomes equivalent to the productive schools of the Armed Forces, with a very high level of knowledge and studies. With its own faculty members, i.e. with its own professors who will be elected and make up the teaching staff. With the best European practices. This is a great upgrade with postgraduate studies as well, with the possibility of assessment and certification of this level of studies.

The goal of a highly trained, efficient Greek Police is becoming a reality day by day. And here we have a very big step, which concerns the training of our police officers, as the corresponding upgrade also concerns the constable school of the Hellenic Police and the further training schools which now also follow the very high standards that exist in the rest of Europe. All of this is a big step forward, which we owe to the Greek Police and our policemen as well as to society.

The duration of Greek passports is increasing

Greece was one of the few European Union countries whose passports were valid for five years. With the regulation we submitted to the Parliament, we increase it to 10 years. In this way we harmonize with what is happening in almost the whole of the European Union and the developed countries all over the Earth. We avoid significant financial and administrative costs. The bureaucracy to serve the citizen and especially the Greeks abroad is reduced. Police forces are released. It is a situation that benefits both the state and all Greek citizens in terms of security and better utilization of our forces.

900 police officers with professionalism and self-sacrifice saved lives

The Greek Police has a clear operational plan, which of course it applies to the letter with self-sacrifice, efficiency and determination. Its job, when fires occur, is to regulate traffic by its presence, to contribute decisively to the evacuation of cities, neighborhoods, settlements, which are at risk and then, to protect together with human life and people’s property. This also happened in Penteli, in the very difficult fire, very difficult due to the constantly strong winds. Over 900 police officers freed around 680 people and helped to evacuate an area with over 40-50,000 inhabitants.

The state apparatus acted effectively

Coordination was complete, decisive and effective. The fire brigade, the police, the EKAV, the local government and the volunteers helped to deal with the fire in Penteli. We should be happy that no human life has been lost, that is great. The fire was dealt with effectively to the best of our ability.

The opposition should respect the work of the police and firefighters

It is good that the opposition and the various means of the opposition respect the work of the policemen and firefighters and all those who were involved with professionalism and self-sacrifice. I believe that all of us together must work for the good of society, for the safety of citizens, for the lives of citizens, for the safety of their property, and when the state apparatus works with good coordination and efficiency, everyone must recognize this. Not for political reasons, not for party reasons, but finally if we want to move forward in this place, when something good is done we should record it and highlight it so that it becomes a positive example so that it is a useful tool and for next time.

This should be the attitude of all political forces and of course the opposition, and not be complacent. I heard some say there were too many policemen. You know, these are not very serious things. There is a specific business plan and it is being implemented. Yesterday, for example, we had 250 police officers outside while the fires were extinguished, patrolling with 95 vehicles in order to secure citizens’ property. Were we to leave people’s property undefended to any criminal who wanted to go and pillage? The opposition should stop being so sour with the Greek Police.

Every day the Greek Police with over 80, 90 men and women patrol forests, patrol areas especially here in the Attica basin, which may be vulnerable to fires.

Security everywhere and in tourist destinations

We make use of special forces and services, because you know what matters is that the policeman is by your side effectively when needed. For example having no permanent forces on an island to perform a service is not always the most useful way. The Economic Police, in the last several weekends, have made very serious checks in tourist destinations and have sent to Justice companies, stores and shops that profit in the wildest way or carry out other types of illegalities. Accordingly, there are interventions by the Drug Enforcement Administration in these areas with significant results. Overall this summer we have sent 50% more police to the country’s main tourist destinations to tackle crime and delinquency.

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