Greece is expanding the role of its municipal police forces, granting them broader powers to enforce traffic regulations, deal with vehicle violations and arrest offenders under specific conditions set by law.
The changes are outlined in a circular issued by Interior Minister Thodoris Livanios, which sets out how municipalities must adapt their services to the new framework. The reforms are intended to give municipal police a more active role in addressing traffic violations and other problems in urban areas.
However, a key question remains: whether municipalities will have enough personnel, equipment and training to exercise their expanded responsibilities effectively.
24-hour operations and new equipment
Under the new framework, municipal police services are expected to operate around the clock in three shifts, potentially increasing their presence at times and in locations where violations often go unchecked.
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The changes also significantly alter the officers’ operational role. Municipal police will be equipped with bulletproof vests, handcuffs and defensive batons, while in certain cases they will have the status and powers assigned by law to special investigative officers.
Their responsibilities will include the ability to arrest offenders when the legal requirements are met. The framework also strengthens criminal-law protections for municipal police officers facing violence or refusal to comply while carrying out their duties.
Municipal police have traditionally focused on local matters such as parking enforcement and implementing municipal decisions. Their expanded role will require them to handle more demanding incidents, making professional conduct, adequate training and a clear division of responsibilities increasingly important.
Staffing levels vary between municipalities
Staff shortages remain a central concern as municipalities prepare to implement the changes.
According to figures cited in the Interior Ministry’s circular, 522 municipal police officers serve in the Municipality of Athens. The framework’s population-based staffing benchmark indicates that 322 officers would be sufficient to meet the minimum staffing standard there. The calculation divides a municipality’s permanent population by 2,000; for Athens, the figure used is 643,452 residents.
The situation is different in the Municipality of Elliniko-Argyroupoli, where only eight municipal police officers are currently serving, compared with a minimum staffing benchmark of 30 for its permanent population of 50,027.
The figures highlight differences in staffing levels across municipalities as they face new operational demands.
Municipalities gain flexibility over responsibilities
The new framework gives municipal councils the ability, through an enhanced-majority vote, to redistribute responsibilities among municipal services, adding or removing duties according to local needs.
Municipalities without their own police service will also be able to cooperate with other municipalities through intermunicipal agreements.
During the transition period through 2027, certain duties may temporarily be assigned to other municipal employees, provided the conditions set out in the new framework are met.
Mayor calls for training and targeted staffing
Yiannis Konstantatos, mayor of Elliniko-Argyroupoli, told TA NEA that he would examine ways to strengthen his municipality’s service, potentially assigning the issuing of fines to administrative employees while reserving enforcement and security duties for municipal police officers.
He stressed, however, that officers would need to complete the required training before taking on their new responsibilities.
The implementation of the reforms will depend on how municipalities organize their services and whether they can provide the staff and preparation needed to exercise the expanded powers.