The government’s goal is a modern, efficient and friendly Police, which operates transparently, which will provide security to everyone and everywhere, stressed the Minister of Citizen Protection Mr. Takis Theodorikakosduring his intervention at the presentation of the Development Program of Central Greece, in Lamia, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The government’s security policy, said the Minister of Citizen Protection, rests on two pillars:

  • 1. border protection
  • 2. and increasing the presence of police officers in neighborhoods and cities to deal with crime.

Regarding the first pillar, he noted that in the coming days the contract will be signed for the construction of an additional 35 kilometers of the Fence, so that the entire Greek-Turkish border will gradually be covered, while all the electronic monitoring systems will be upgraded. This is a project whose cost has been foreseen by the Budget, but with actions of the Prime Minister, funding is also sought from the EU.

In addition, in 2022 the forces of EL.AS. in Evros they prevented 260 thousand illegal immigrants from entering our country with their presence. During the same period, 1,491 traffickers were arrested in the territory.

As far as the second pillar is concerned, in 2022, compared to the period 2015-2019, thefts, burglaries, vehicle thefts and robberies are reduced by 25% in the Territory.

Also, 2022 presents the lowest number of homicides since 2011 in our country and with the highest percentage of solutions: 79 homicides were committed and the percentage of solutions (same and previous years) reached 88.61%.
The figures he quoted for the Region of Central Greece are similar, as for the same period homicides decreased by 32% and robberies by 26%.

Mr. Theodorikakos also referred to the delinquent activity of the Roma in the region. As he said in 2022, 230 criminal acts were detected and 395 arrests were made.

Also, as announced, in 2022 EL.AS. in the Region of Central Greece, handled 299 cases of theft of railway material by Roma and 289 perpetrators have been identified or arrested.

As the Minister of Citizen Protection said in the context of the “Hefaistos” Plan, special operational programs have been drawn up to deal with thefts on the railway network: Regular Police Operations are carried out every 15 days, emergency excursions around and inside settlements – camps and targeted checks in metal collecting and trading companies. Noting that targeted overt or covert policing actions are conducted where offending behavior is observed.

At the same time, Mr. Theodorikakos announced that there is close cooperation between the police authorities and co-competent bodies (municipal authorities, DEDDIE), for the implementation of joint actions.