[InTime News]
Increased policing in the center of Athens has led to a drop in complaints and an increase in arrests, the conservative government said Thursday, and pledged a further boost in foot patrols after the summer.
The minister for the police, Michalis Chrysochoidis, said an extra 80 officers would be put on the beat in the capital’s center from the end of September. He voiced hope that this would enable better security, cooperation with residents and professionals and a boost in the perception of safety in the area.
Chrysochoidis said that stronger security measures in force over the past year in the city center have paid off, with a 17% reduction in calls to police about incidents in the area and a 27% rise in arrests.
“Things are better,” he said. “But if we take our eye off the ball for even a few days crime will revive.”
