Hellenic Police

The Hellenic Police force[5][6] is headed in a de jure sense by the Minister for Citizen Protection, however, although the Minister sets the general policy direction of Greece's stance towards law and order as a whole, the Chief of Police is the day-to-day head of the force. Underneath the Chief of Police is the Deputy Chief of Police whose role is largely advisory, though in the event of the Chief of Police being unable to assume his duties the Deputy Chief will take over as the interim head. Regular meetings are also held with the Council of Planning and Crisis Management who are drawn from the heads of the main divisions of the police force and raise relevant issues with the Chief of Police him/herself. Underneath the Deputy Chief of Police is the Head of Staff, who, in addition to acting as 'Principal' of the Police Academy, heads the Security and Order Branch, Administrative Support Branch and Economical-Technical and Information Support Branch. Equal in rank to the Head of Staff are the General Inspectors of Southern and Northern Greece, who have under their jurisdiction the regional services of both these divisions. The Security and Order Branch is by far the most important, and includes the General Police Division, the Public Security Division and the State Security Division, among others.

Attica General Police Directorate (GADA).

Greece is divided into two sectors for policing, both headed by an Inspector General. These sectors both contain several regions, headed by an Inspector General.

Northern Greece

• East Macedonia and Thrace region
• Central Macedonia region
• West Macedonia region
• Thessaly region
• Epirus region
• North Aegean region

Southern Greece

• Central Greece region
• Peloponnese region
• West Greece region
• Ionian Islands region
• South Aegean region
• Crete region

Greek police helicopter

Men of the Units for the Reinstatement of Order (MAT)

The Hellenic Police force has several special services divisions under the authority of the Chief of Police and working in conjunction with regional and other police sectors where necessary, these are as follows:

• Crime Prevention and Suppression Groups (Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. - Ομάδες Πρόληψης και Καταστολής Εγκλήματος - Omades Prolipsis kai Katastolis Egklimatos)
• Cyber Crime Division (ΔΙ.Δ.Η.Ε. - Διεύθυνση Δίωξης Ηλεκτρονικού Εγκλήματος - Dieufthinsi Dioxis Ilektronikou Egklimatos)
• Special Violent Crime Squad (Δ.Α.Ε.Ε.Β. - Διεύθυνση Αντιμετώπισης Ειδικών Εγκλημάτων Βίας - Dieufthinsi Antimetopisis Eidikon Egklimaton Vias)
• Forensic Science Division (Δ.Ε.Ε. - Διεύθυνση Εγκληματολογικών Ερευνών - Dieufthinsi Egklimatologikon Ereunon)
• Division of Internal Affairs (Δ.Ε.Υ. - Διεύθυνση Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων - Dieufthinsi Esoterikon Hypotheseon)
• International Police Cooperation Division (Δ.Δ.Α.Σ. - Διεύθυνση Διεθνούς Αστυνομικής Συνεργασίας - Dieufthinsi Diethnous Astynomikis Synergasias)
• Informatics Division (Διεύθυνση Πληροφορικής - Dieufthinsi Plirophorikis)
• Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit (E.K.A.M. - Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα - Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada)
• Department of Explosive Devices Disposal (Τ.Ε.Ε.Μ. - Τμήμα Εξουδετέρωσης Εκρηκτικών Μηχανισμών - Tmima Exoudeterosis Ekriktikon Mechanismon)
• Hellenic Police Air Force Service (Υ.Ε.Μ.Ε.Α. - Υπηρεσία Εναερίων Μέσων Ελληνικής Αστυνομίας - Hypiresia Enaerion Meson Hellinikis Astynomias)
• Zeta Group (motorcycle police) (ΖΗΤΑ - Omada Zeta)
• Groups of Bicycle-mounted Police (motorcycle police) (ΔΙ.ΑΣ. - Ομάδες Δίκυκλης Αστυνόμευσης - Omades Dicyclis Astynomeusis)
• Action Group (motorcycle police) (Ομάδα Δράση - Omada Drasi, former Force of Control Fast Confrontation - Δ.ΕΛ.Τ.Α. - Δύναμη Ελέγχου Ταχείας Αντιμετώπισης - Dynami Elenchou Tachias Antimetopisis)
• Special Guards (Ειδικοί Φρουροί - Eidikoi Frouroi)
• Border Guards (Συνοριοφύλακες - Synoriophylakes)
• Traffic Police (also known as Road Traffic Police) (Τροχαία - Trochaia)
• Units for the Reinstatement of (Public) Order (Riot Police, or Police Riot Units) (M.A.T. - Μονάδες Αποκατάστασης Τάξης - Monades Apokatastasis Taxis)
• Group of Police Dogs (Ομάδα Αστυνομικών Σκύλων - Omada Astynomikon Skylon)[7]
• University Institutions Protection Groups (O.Π.Π.Ι - Ομάδες Προστασίας Πανεπιστημιακών Ιδρυμάτων - Omades Prostasias Panepistimiakon Idrimaton)[8][9]
• Tourist Police (Τουριστική Αστυνομία - Touristiki Astynomia). With the law 6450/1935, Government Gazette 14/A/13-1-1935, was founded the Tourist Police Directorate (Διεύθυνση Τουριστικής Αστυνομίας)[10][11] which initially was Directorate of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) having police officers from Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police. The Tourist Police Directorate of EOT was abolished by the Mandatory Law 297/1968, Government Gazette 38/A/22-2-1968, replacing by two Tourist Police directorates, one of the Hellenic Gendarmerie Headquarters and one of the Cities Police Headquarters respectively. With the law 1481/1984, Government Gazette 152/A/8-10-1984, the Tourist Police was abolished and its services assigned to the local police stations and units making in-house tourist offices in which were abolished thereafter by the Presidential Decree 508/1989, Government Gazette 216/A/3-10-1989. In 1993 Tourist Police re-founded. With the articles 101 and 105 of the Presidential Decree 7/2017, Government Gazette 14/A/9-2-2017, created the Stations and Units of the Tourist Police at the Hellenic Police Directorates at several prefectures.[12][13]

Gendarmes in Chalcis, 1835

Though there was what constituted a police force under the provisional Government of Greece during the Greek War of Independence, the first organized police force in Greece was the Greek Gendarmerie which was established in 1833 after the enthronement of King Otho. It was at that time formally part of the army and under the authority of the Defence Ministry (later the entirety of the organization including the Police Academy was brought under its authority). A city police force was also established but its role remained a secondary one in comparison to the Army's role (mainly dealing with illegal gambling, a severe problem at the time), several foreign advisers (particularly from Bavaria, which emphasized elements of centralization and authoritarianism), were also brought in to provide training and tactical advice to the newly formed Police force. The main task of the police force under the army as a whole during this period was firstly to combat theft but also to contribute to the establishment of a strong executive government.

The army's links to the police and the nature of the structure of the police force and its hierarchy (that of being similar to the army) was maintained throughout the 19th century for a number of reasons. Largely the socio-political unrest that characterized the period including disproportionate poverty, governmental oppression, sporadic rebellions and political instability. As a result of this, as well as the input of the armed forces, the police force remained a largely conservative body throughout the period, there was also a certain amount of politicization during training as the police force were trained in military camps.

Road traffic policeman of the Cities Police in 1960

In 1906 the Greek police force underwent its first major restructuring at an administrative level. It acquired its own educational and training facilities independent of those of the army (though still remaining titularly part of the armed forces). Despite this the Gendarmerie still maintained a largely military based structured based on its involvement in the Macedonian Struggle, and the Balkan and First World Wars, as a result it tended to neglect civilian matters and was partially unresponsive to the needs of Greek society at the time. However, together with the establishment of a civilian city police force for Athens in 1920 (which would eventually be expanded to the entire country), it set a precedent for further change that came in 1935 because of rapid technological, demographic and economic changes which helped it to become more responsive to civilian policing needs of the time.

However, modernization of the police force was stunted by the successive periods of political instability. The dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, compounded with both the Second World War and the Greek Civil War led to a retardation of reform throughout the late 1930s and early to mid-1940s. After the war however, British experts were brought in to help reform the police along the lines of the British Police, as a result, after 1946 the police force ceased to be a part of the Defence Ministry, however even then it did not abandon its military features and was still prevalently a military based institution. The Civil war of the period also contributed to excesses on both sides (government forces and the guerillas of the communist led Democratic Army of Greece),[16] torture and abuse of human rights were widespread especially during the early periods of the war when parts of the country where in a state of near lawlessness. Despite this, after the war the police force did reach a respectable level of civilian policing throughout the mid-1960s which was stunted by the rise to power of the Military dictatorship of the Colonels from 1967 to 1974 where it was largely employed as a method of quelling popular discontent along with the newly established Greek Military Police force of the dictatorship.

After the fall of the Colonels the Greek Military Police was eventually disbanded and Greece became a Republic. Despite strong opposition from the Gendarmerie, in 1984 both the city police and the Gendarmerie were merged into a single unified Greek Police Force which maintained elements of a military structure and hierarchy. Because of the long tradition of militaristic elements within the structure of the police even the Council of State of Greece ruled that the police should be regarded as a military body and that members are not civilians but members of the military engaged in a wider role together with the Armed Forces to supplement the Army in defence of the homeland. This has however in recent years been relegated to policing duties such as border patrols and combating illegal immigration and is not reflective of any de facto military duties outside of that of a defensive role in the event of an invasion. Today the Greek Police assist in training various emerging Eastern European and African police forces and Greece has one of the lowest crime rates within the European Union.

During a check on four persons in the area of Amarousiou on 22 November 2021 by motorcycle police unit DIAS officers, in particular the procedure of identity document (ID) checks and body search after having first ordered from them to place out the items who carry with them, they found drugs.[33][34] Among the persons was reportedly Dimitris Theodorikakos son of Citizen Protection Minister Panagiotis (Takis) Theodorikakos.[35][36][37][38][39][40] The revelation made by a retired police brigadier and the newspaper journalist and police editor of Ta Nea and To Vima Vasilis Labropoulos on Mega TV’s Mega Gegonona news[41] on 2 February 2023 where it presents photographs from the drugs and recording of data of four, referring to the Panagiotis Theodorikakos who reportedly had done intervention in order to cover up and manipulate the case file, to destroy incriminating evidences and material, and to avoid arrest and transfer before a prosecutor. Vasilis Labropoulos commented that "Mega TV and other media had not have intention to refer who is the person checked, hence they referred only [they did not name who are] are from the surrounding of mister Theodorikakos. The revelation of person who is his son he is himself revealed the minister [Panagiotis Theodorikakos]".[42][43][44][45][46]

Panagiotis (Takis) Theodorikakos announced he will file a criminal complaint[47][48] against the retired police brigadier and Vasilis Labropoulos. Also Dimitris Theodorikakos and former Chief of Hellenic Police Michail Karamalakis[49][50][51] announced they will file a criminal complaint against the retired police brigadier.[52][53]

According to some organizations Greek police has been accused of overt and, generally unpunished, brutality, in specific cases like after the 2008 Greek riots and during the 2010–2012 Greek protests sparked by the Greek government-debt crisis. Amnesty international has issued a detailed report[54] on police violence in Greece, concerning its practices in patrolling demonstrations, treatment of illegal immigrants, and other, while the Human Rights Watch has criticized the organization concerning its stance against immigrants[55][56] and allegations of torture of detainees[57] and the Reporters Without Borders have accused the police of deliberately targeting journalists.[58]

Furthermore, it has been accused of allegedly planting evidence on detainees[59][60] and mistreatment of arrested individuals. A 29-year-old Cypriot man, Avgoustinos Dimitriou, has been awarded €300,000 in damages following his videotaped beating by plainclothed police officers during a 2006 demonstration in Thessaloniki.[61][62][63][64]

In November 2019, Amnesty International again made a report regarding the police violence and the use of torture methods.[65] In 2020, 26-year-old Vasilis Maggos from Volos, was found dead one month after his arrest (during an environmental demonstration) and his beating by police officers that caused him serious organ damage.[66][67][68]

In 2021, the Border Violence Monitoring Network published a report into the use of torture and inhuman treatment during pushbacks by Greek police.[69][70][71] They assert that:

• 89% of pushbacks carried out by Greek authorities contained one or more forms of violence and abuse that we assert amounts to torture or inhuman treatment
• 52% of pushback groups subjected to torture or inhuman treatment by Greek authorities contained minors

AEK fan 29-year-old Greek Michalis Katsouris was stabbed multiple times and died shortly after in hospital, when in the late hours on 7 August 2023 a group of around 100-120 hooligans supporters of Dinamo Zagreb, reportedly met up with members-accomplices of an affiliated Athens club at a pre-arranged location and together made their way by car and train to AEK’s stadium in Nea Filadelfia, went to Perissos, where fans of AEK were assembled in the broader vicinity.[72][73][74] Clashes ensued between the two groups, which threw flares, makeshift explosives, projectiles and rocks, and used makeshift clubs.[75] Hellenic Police have come under criticism for allowing the Dinamo Zagreb fans to assemble near the stadium and not stopping the brawl, intended to prevent the murder that occurred.[76][77][78][79][80]

A prosecutor has ordered a preliminary investigation into an incident which occurred on Akadimias Street in Athens on 16 March 2023 during general strike where a police tow truck drove at high speed into dumpsters that were being wheeled into the middle of a street by protestors.[81][82][83]

Four police officers were arrested on 11 March 2023, include a higher officer, two lower-ranking policemen and a member of the Special Guard unit were responsible for guarding and transferring detainees, for allegedly beating and torturing a detainee.[84]

On December 5, 2022, in Thessaloniki a 16-year-old Roma youth was fatally shot in the head by a 34-year-old motorcycle police unit DIAS officer involved in a chase after the teenager allegedly filled up his pickup truck at a gas station and left without paying the 20 euro bill triggered days of often violent protests in the Thessaloniki and Athens and other parts of Greece. He had been hospitalized for more than a week but he died on 13 December 2022.[85][86][87][88]

Two motorcycle police unit DIAS officers, aged 24 and 27, were charged with raping a 19-year-old woman in Omonia Police Station on 12 October 2022.[89]

A disabled woman brutalized by two policemen at the Omonia Police Station on 29 October 2019, Hellenic Police (ELAS) confirmed the violent incident.[90][91][92]

A special police guard Epaminondas Korkoneas killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on the night of December 6, 2008, following a verbal altercation with the teenager and his friends.[93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100]

Michalis Kaltezas 15-year-old was fatally shot at the back of his head by the 27-year-old police officer Athanasios Melistas[101][102][103][104] on 17 November 1985 during the annual 17 November protests remembrance day.

Iakovos Koumis (Sorira Ammochostos, 1956 – Athens, 23 November 1980) was a Cypriot law student who was fatally injured to death, along 20-year-old worker Stamatina Kanellopoulou, by the Police Riot Units (M.A.T.) on 16 November 1980 during the annual 17 November protests remembrance day.[105][106][101]

In 2012, Syriza political party, disagreed with the measures taken by the State authorities and the police against illegal immigration.[107]

At early November 2012, the Minister of Public Order, Nikos Dendias, accused various MPs of the Coalition of Radical Left of "impersonating authority". According to the accusations the members of the party stopped a number of policemen while they were on duty in order to check their credentials. Moreover, they took photographs of the plainclothes police officers and uploaded them on the internet site of the party (left.gr).[108][109] The accusations prompted an angry reply from the party's spokesperson, who replied that they are "dirty accusations".[110][111]

In a 1998 interview with the newspaper Eleftherotypia, Minister for Public Order Georgios Romaios (PASOK) alleged the existence of "fascist elements in the Greek police", and vowed to suppress them.[112]

Before the surrender of Androutsopoulos, an article by the newspaper Ta Nea claimed that the neo-Nazi political party Golden Dawn had close relationships with some parts of the Greek police force.[113] Since the 1990s, the Hellenic Police has been condemned for the association of many of its officers with the far right movement, in particular the Golden Dawn party.

The newspaper published then a photograph of a typewritten paragraph with no identifiable insignia as evidence of the secret investigation. In the article, the Minister for Public Order, Michalis Chrysochoidis, responded that he did not recollect such a probe. Chrysochoidis also denied accusations that far right connections within the police force delayed the arrest of Periandros. He said that leftist groups, including the ultra-left anti-state resistance group 17 November, responsible for several murders, had similarly evaded the police for decades. In both cases, he attributed the failures to "stupidity and incompetence" on behalf of the force.[113]

Golden Dawn stated that rumors about the organisation having connections to the Greek police and the government are untrue, and that the police had intervened in Golden Dawn's rallies and had arrested members of the Party several times while the New Democracy party was in power (for example, during a rally in Thessaloniki in June 2006, and at a rally for the anniversary of the Greek genocide, in Athens, also in 2006). Also, on January 2, 2005, anti-fascist and leftist groups invaded Golden Dawn's headquarters in Thessaloniki, under heavy police surveillance. Although riot police units were near the entrance of the building alongside the intruders, they allegedly did not attempt to stop their actions.[114]

The "communicating vessels" between Police and Neo-Nazis re-surfaced on the occasion of riot that broke during protest on march June 28, 2011, when squads of riot police rushed to protect agents provocateurs[115] isolated by the angry crowd, two of them A. Soukaras and A. Koumoutsos both unionists of ETHEL (ΕΘΕΛ) well known for both their extreme opinions, as well as their frequent presence in riots.[116]

In July 2012, it was reported that Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, had placed the alleged ties of Greek Police and Golden Dawn under scrutiny,[117] following reports of the Greek state's continued failure to acknowledge the problem.[118][119]

According to political analyst Paschos Mandravelis, "A lot of the party's backing comes from the police, young recruits who are a-political and know nothing about the Nazis or Hitler. For them, Golden Dawn supporters are their only allies on the frontline when there are clashes between riot police and leftists.[120]

Following the May 6, 2012 Greek Parliamentary election, in which Golden Dawn entered the Greek parliament, it was said that more than one out of two police officers voted for the party in districts adjacent to Athens' Attica General Police Directorate (GADA)[121] The Hellenic Police falsified those claims, some of their arguments were that "The Hellenic Police falsified those claims, some of their arguments were that "the Special Electoral Lists also included civilians and people who reside in municipalities that are different from the municipalities that are registered in their elector lists, a big number of civilians and of non-civilians include, other categories of civil servants (army, navy, airforce, coast guard, firefighting staff, etc.), while in addition many police officers vote in their local constituencies." and "1048th electoral department of the 7th District of the Municipality of Athens, in which motorcycle police unit DIAS officers / Attica Directorate of Immediate Action exercised their right to vote, golden dawn also gained 11%, ranking third (as in national elections). Finally, in the vast majority of polling stations, in which police officers also voted during the European elections, in various areas (Kaisariani, Ampelokipi, etc.) golden dawn ranked third[122][123][124] Since the election, Greek police officers have been implicated in violent incidents between Golden Dawn members and migrants. In September, one police officer was suspended for participating in a Golden Dawn raid against migrant-owned kiosks in an open market at Mesolongi; seven other officers were identified.[125] Anti-fascist demonstrators were allegedly tortured in police custody that same month.[126] In October, Greek police allegedly stood by while Golden Dawn members attacked a theater holding a production of the controversial play Corpus Christi.[127][128]

Hellenic Police has a basic requirement of knowledge which being applied for all positions within the agency. These are the protection of the Constitution, tackling of criminal activities and assisting in disaster situations. The emphasis during training on the support and protection of children is such, that a number of highly successful individuals that were raised as orphans, have stated that they couldn't say with certainty that they would make it all the way to the top, without the social service that the Hellenic Police provided to them during their childhood.[150]

The personnel who are hired as police special guards (and then they are promoted to police officers after some years) receive 3 months of training. They mainly have patrolling duties and they can also be part of riot police.[151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158]