Stamping out crime in prisons
The successful resolution of the police investigation into the kidnapping of prominent shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos in January of this year was a great coup for the Ministry of Public Order and the police force, which have come under fire quite frequently lately. The ministry and police force worked with scientific method and used the advantages of technology to collect the evidence that eventually led them to the people who had held the businessman captive for eight days as they waited for their ransom demands to be met. At the same time, however, the police investigation into this incident has also drawn attention to a serious problem in the Greek prison system, which often functions as a hothouse for crime or a headquarters for organizing criminal activities. One measure that could be taken toward putting an end to this is blocking cellular phone reception inside detention centers. The daring escape of convict Vassilis Paleokostas from Korydallos Prison and the recent revelations from the Panagopoulos investigation prove that any delay in enforcing this measure could prove extremely dangerous.
