“The patrols of ELAS in the Attica basin will be strengthened from January 20, as 600 new special guards will be put on duty,” said Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, speaking to SKAI radio station.
“Their allocation will be based on the vacancies in the organic posts and where there is a greater need to tackle crime,” he added. “This includes neighbourhoods in the centre of Athens and neighbourhoods in the Western Suburbs and especially in the areas where we often do special operations, Zefiri, Liosia, Menidi and in new dynamic areas of the basin that have a very urban population and high policing needs. The police are being reinforced everywhere with their presence in order to put into practice the need to strengthen the sense of security of citizens.”.
Regarding the situation in Evros, the Minister said: “The construction of the Evros fence is a national security necessity. In the first days of the New Year, 2,000 illegal immigrants attempted to enter Greece. In the first half of the year, 25 smugglers were also arrested. From Soufli to Kornofolia, 35 kilometres of fence will be built. We are proceeding immediately with the tender in order to start the construction of the fence immediately. The studies are ready, and there has been full cooperation with the Army to provide all the necessary provisions. We are moving forward because this is the need for national security, this is the need to put a decisive end to illegal migration from Evros.».
At the same time, referring to the attitude of the opposition, he noted: “Unfortunately, for petty party reasons, the official opposition instrumentalizes everything. Even issues related to our national identity, existence and national strategy. Which Greek citizen does not want the Parthenon sculptures to return to Greece? They are identical and symbolize our history, Hellenism, our national identity over the millennia. And unfortunately, this is not only about the Parthenon marbles, they did the same thing the day before yesterday, when the Prime Minister went to Gavdos and sent a very loud message of determination at the international level against Turkey and its constant provocations, and the opposition came out and said that we have abolished democracy. All these are fictions, they are provocative slander against the Greek Police, but also against the government and they should be stopped.”.
Theodorikakos also stressed, among other things, “Those who ruled the country for four years until 2019 and sent us to failure, to division, the murder of the middle class, the degradation of our country, the betrayal of the name of Macedonia for Skopje, are not allowed to return. And it is up to the Greeks to ensure the stability and perspective of the homeland.”.
On drug arrests, he stressed: “In 2022 for drug cases have been arrested by the Hellenic Police. 13,700 people will be arrested in 2022. It is a case that is at the centre of the police's attention. There is a problem which must be perceived by everyone. The user is a sick person. When the police take him away from there and take him to the police station and the detention centre the next day he will be released. This is the reality for which, as you can see, the responsibility does not lie with the police alone. I believe that what is needed is for there to be many more structures and even at the exits of the city when we are talking about the Attica basin. A broader plan is needed. We are in discussion about this with both the Ministry of Health and the local government because more of the burden, you understand, on this side falls on them. Drug addicts are sick people and we need to find a way to support all of us in order for them to get well. That is the reality.”.
Theodoricakos also pointed out that in 2022, there were the fewest murders committed in the last 12 years and the highest rate of solving murders, while regarding the University Police, he noted: “It is patrolling three universities at the moment: AUTH and the University Campus and Polytechnic Campus of Zografou and they are getting significant results. A typical case is the patrols by the IPPs that helped to dislocate a laboratory, which was the site of Molotov cocktails on the Polytechnic Campus of Zographou about 50 days ago.
Finally, the Minister expressed his condolences to the family of the journalist Panagiotis Tzenos, who passed away yesterday.
