Greek police released data on robberies on Monday, showing a downward trend from 2016 to 2017. More precisely, there were 453 fewer robberies in 2017 than in 2016. The data recorded 4,271 robberies, the vast majority (3,418) in Attica, and 75,707 thefts and break-ins. The police statistics showed 708 occurencies of criminal break-ins at residential houses, averaging at 59 a month, or two per day.
This data was presented on the aftermath of two highly publicised cases of break-ins taking place recently in Athens; on Monday, 53-year old businessman Alexandros Stamatiadis suffered critical injuries, when he was shot by two burglars, who broke in his house in the northern suburb of Kifissia; a few days before, an 88-year old shot and injured a burglar who had entered his house in the southern suburb of Glyfada.
These two incidents ignited a heated public debate on self-protection in Greece. Alternate Civil Protection Minister Nikos Toskas’ comments on each of the cases caused a political maelstrom, as he denounced the octogenarian’s vigilantism, calling for citizens facing burglars to pretend they are asleep, so as not to put their lives in danger. “When I said that, many ridiculed me, but this is the directive issued by all police internationally,” said the alternate Minister, who was faced with more backlash for his reaction to the Kifissia break-in and shooting by saying: “We do not live in an angelic world.” Nikos Toskas stressed that the Police have put all their resources into finding the two burglars.
“There was always a crime problem, but now it has gotten out of hand,” said main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “The most recent crime incidents, with people fighting for their lives and homes being pillaged, confirm what New Democracy was saying all along. The situation is getting worse every day.” The opposition has widely criticised the government’s policies on crime, more particularly the abolition of the Delta police immediate action motorcycle unit and the reduction of neighbourhood police patrols. According to police statistics, there were 1,871 incidents of street mugging in 2017, with people being robbed of cell phones and small amounts of cash.
