Citizens’ Protection Minister on policing central Athens

Citizens’ Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis on Tuesday called for the “activation and coordination” of all competent agencies in order to “do what was humanly possible to fight crime in central Athens” while speaking in Parliament.
Stressing his horror at the dawn stabbing of a father-to-be by robbers in downtown Athens earlier the same morning, Papoutsis said that the police were making every possible effort to protect the public “in the framework of the fiscal difficulties”.

Papoutsis said that the state and local government have to cooperate on the initiatives for protection and security in the centre of the capital.

The minister said that the evidence showed that crime in the centre was falling but increasing in regions.

“We are determined to encourage the Athens Mayor and other competent bodies in order to secure the greatest possible security of Athenians,” he said.