Rift among police over ‘golden boys’

Divisions have emerged within the Hellenic Police (ELAS) after the relocation in recent weeks to Attica and Thessaloniki of hundreds of officers, who are being paid an additional allowance of 4,200 euros per month, in an attempt to boost visible policing in the country's two largest urban centers.

The decision to deploy more than 700 police officers was taken at the beginning of the year, aiming to boost citizens' sense of security and to reverse the impression among a portion of the public that the government was failing to impose public order. The relevant orders entailed the transfer of police officers from provincial areas to the Attica Security Directorate, to staff crime prevention and suppression teams, "due to increased service needs."

More specifically, officers have been recruited from Arta, Grevena, Evritania, Karditsa and elsewhere to form police squads...