Justice and Public Order Minister Kostas Fytiris has asked the Chief of Police to suspend the implementation of a decision to change the working hours of members of the Crime Prevention Squads (OPE), pending the completion of an assessment of the operational data behind the decision, according to new information.
The minister's intervention follows what ministry sources describe as significant frustration over the manner in which the police leadership reached the decision, without prior notification or consultation with the political leadership of the ministry.
According to the same sources, Fytiris's displeasure centres specifically on the fact that he was given no indication that the new shift arrangements would be extended to OPE members, despite the unit's critical role in crime prevention and operational policing.
The minister is said to hold the view that decisions affecting the functioning of key police units, including OPE, the Undercover Operations Unit (UKAN) and the Special Operations and Crime Investigation Unit (MMAD), cannot be treated as purely internal administrative matters. Given their potential impact on crime prevention, operational readiness and public safety, he believes such decisions must also be assessed at a political level.
