Greek Government Reveals Plan for Greek Police Force Overhaul

• Greek news

Jan 30, 2014

The Greek Ministry of Public Order and Protection submitted a new draft law unveiling in this way the Greek government’s  plans to overhaul the Greek Police( ELAS) in a bid to improve patrols and cut spending.
During an Athens press briefing, Minister Nikos Dendias presented the bill, which includes decoupling the ministry from police, turning the latter into a political organization under a general directorate. Police headquarters will be abolished under its current form and will be replaced by a directorate overlooking three main and autonomous sectors: public order, security (set up along the FBI model) and foreigners/border protection sector in Greece.
The bill, which was tabled in Parliament Wednesday, foresees the scrapping of about 6,700 permanent posts, which are currently vacant, as well as the merging of ELAS’s surplus administrative departments. The move is expected to cut their number almost in half, from 120 to 68. With the exception of the Attica and Thessaloniki prefectures, the remaining 52 police directorates will be substituted by the 12 regional directorates.
Changes will also take place in the Fire Brigade structure, which will act as the operational branch of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
The whole project, according to the data presented, will result in a 43 percent reduction in the police structure (including mergers of units and services), 30 percent reduction in the Fire Brigade and 36 percent in the General Secretariat.