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With the seasonal crime rate of
Gouves, Hersonisos and Malia continually on the rise, the mayors of the
three townships joined together to demand an increased police presence to
meet the problem head on.
At a recent press conference, mayors
Kostas Lagouthakis of Malia, Yiorgos Nikolakakis of Gouves, and Spyros
Danelis of Hersonisos jointly
announced that they sent letters, signed by all three, concerning matters of
public order to the Minister of Interior Prokopi Pavlopoulo and to the Vice
Minister of Interior Panayioti Hinofoti.
Mayor Danelis emphasized that
policing does not come under the lines of the local government, “but we
couldn’t be apathetic in anything that has to do with the presence of a
dignified police presence in the area.”
He further mentioned that the
reorganization of the police force in Crete
is very much discussed for this year.
“The police department in Hersonisos
still functions according to the organization chart of 1971 and does not
cover the needs of today,” he said.
Mayor Nikolakakis
pointed out that “the crimes and unlawful behaviour recorded, show that
if we don’t intervene on time, the problems will magnify and multiply”.
He also pointed out that the correct
manning of a proper police department in the area “would be to function
mainly in a preventive fashion”, and called for a sooner-rather-than-later
solution to the problem.
Mayor Lagouthakis
spoke about the
disappointment, and the diminishing strengths of the local society due to
the non-caring of the ministries.
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“Our area is sensitive, with a
population like a mosaic,” he said. “It changes weekly and stays in hotels
which, together with other businesses, it offers a great amount to the local
economy, but there is no quality return to us from the state.”
Of the three townships, Gouves is
the largest in both size and permanent population, while Malia is the
smallest. However, when it comes to tourism, Hersonissos offers 65.000 beds,
Malia 24.000 and Gouves only 11.729.
While the total permanent population
is 27.000, for a seven month period – April through October – that number
shoots up to almost 130.000 on any given day.
The Hersonisos Police Station, which
is responsible for all of Malia and Hersonissos, and half of Gouves, has
only 24 officers on record, but minus eight who are absent for various
reasons, the real number is 16.
During the summer period, the
department is reinforced by cadets, and this practice, according to the
mayors, “is considered to bring an element of danger, as these cadets lack
experience as they have not finished their training.”
In 2007, the department was faced
and dealt with: 13 felonies, 2.539 minor offences, 65 penal code violations,
567 special penal laws violations, 771 misdemeanours, 365 fines to
shops,1.500 traffic/driving violation fines (just since June 2007) and 800
prisoners to transport to Iraklion courts and jails.
“Finally, Mr. Minister and Mr. Vice
Minister,” the memo concludes, “we have a common responsibility towards our
citizens to deal with the serious shortage of policing. The perpetuation and
multiplication of the problems without effectively dealing with them,
detracts from the country.”
The mayors said the next step will be a face-to-face meeting with the
Interior Ministry.
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