Terrorist hit speeds up overhaul of police force
The bomb blast outside Parliament on Saturday night, claimed on Tuesday by Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire and the little-known Terrorist Guerrilla Group, has prompted police to bring forward a planned overhaul of the police force’s measures to boost security at other high-profile landmarks that could be targeted by terrorists in the future. According to sources at the Citizens’ Protection Ministry, high-level government and police officials are currently discussing a radical overhaul of the system currently in operation. «We are changing our whole philosophy of guarding high-profile targets and plan to coordinate all the competent bodies as soon as possible,» one high-level police source told Kathimerini. No details were revealed about the planned overhaul but top police officials are said to be studying methods that have already been successfully implemented in several European countries and in the US. The intention of Greek Police Chief Lefteris Economou, according to police sources, is to make optimum use of the experience gained by some 2,000 Greek officers sent to the US for special training in the runup to the Athens 2004 Olympics. The same sources described the project as «the most expensive training program yet for police officers whose full potential has yet to be tapped.» Defending his first 100 days as the minister responsible for public order yesterday, Michalis Chrysochoidis noted that more than 1,100 officers previously employed as guards for high-profile public figures had been taken off these duties and were now available to boost the police’s efforts to protect the public at large.
