Inherent flaws lie behind police fiasco

The government is reportedly intent on moving forward with institutional changes and replacing individuals within the Greek police (ELAS) after the latest debacle last Monday night and the force’s failure to deal with a moderate-risk operation, like the interception of 100-120 Croatian hooligans. The fiasco has been attributed to structural shortcomings and rivalries among senior echelons. 

These failings, which led to the fatal stabbing of 29-year-old Michalis Katsouris outside the AEK soccer stadium in Athens, had also been identified in March, with the mismanagement of protests in downtown Athens following the Tempe train tragedy. 

The decommissioning of officers with the necessary expertise in planning and implementing police operations, the placement in critical positions of individuals who lack experience and the departure from the Ministry of Citizen Protection of officials with a long-standing presence are some of the reasons for the police’s proverbial lack of efficiency. 

Moreover, the dismissal after the March protests of former Greek police chief Konstantinos Skoumas – as a result of a change in the balance of forces within the ministry – and his replacement by the current leader, Lazaros Mavropoulos, caused chain reactions and created a negative climate in the ranks of ELAS’ senior and top officers. Although several were supposed to work with each other, relations in practice remained fraught.

In comments to Kathimerini, the president of the Union of Athens Police Employees, Dimosthenis Pakos, described a situation of responsibility shirking and a lack of experienced high-ranking officers. “For years, the senior officers in charge have made the police a spectator, treating every situation with apprehension and a ‘don’t get involved’ doctrine, so we don’t get involved,” Pakos stressed. 

Since March, ELAS had not been called upon to manage any particularly big crises, which only served to mask difficulties and irregularities in the execution of its services until they came to the fore again last week.

As a result, the head of the responsible sub-directorate for dealing with violence in sports venues and six commanders of traffic departments, including from the areas where the hooligans’ convoy passed, were removed from their positions, while more heads at the highest level are also expected to roll.