EL.AS in... shortage: «We are lack even of photocopy papers»

They have reached the bottom. This is the general conclusion when speaking with the representatives of police officers. The government policies imposed by the memorandum the last few years have bend police officers, their families and the total police force which it is still productive only due to the personnel's' sense of honor.
Speaking to Newsbomb.gr, the Vice President of Hellenic Federation of the Police Officers and Chairman of the Police Officers Athens Union Mr. Grigoris Gerakarakos, describes the daily problems that the police offices are dealing with.

The "old" vehicle fleet and.... Penelope

One of the main problems as Mr. Gerakarakos highlighted, is EL.AS' vehicle fleet. "We face a dramatic situation because the fleet is aged and we don't have the budget to make the necessary repairs. This is very dangerous for the lives of my colleagues. Police officers are forced to take the cars and bikes to garages that belong to friends in order to get cheaper spare parts. To make you understand how severe the problem is, I'm telling you that in every police station there is a car called Penelope. That is because it has 40 fiancés. That is the truth."
The situation of functional expenses is equally dramatic, says to Newsbomb.gr, since we don't have money even for photocopy papers and the police officers are compelled to wear bulletproof waistcoats that have expired: "Because they have expire date and there is no budget for their replacement they press the officers to wear them. Even if they do so, there is no protection. And all the reports about their replacement are lost between the drawers of the high ranked".

The total absurdity takes place in the detention rooms. "The detention rooms are for temporary custody, but here all the detention rooms are filled with sentenced prisoners. They have turned the detention rooms to jails. This is unacceptable. The illegal immigrants crammed in those rooms suffering from bad hygiene. There are officers that have been ill by scabies. Not to mention hepatitis etc. Let me just tell you that in the immigrants' department there is a wing with prisoners that have dangerous diseases and police officers are send in these rooms without any protection. We have reported this so many times but nothing happens".

Cuts that reach 45%

The major problem according to the police officers is the wage cuts that have been suffering the years of financial crisis. "The wage cuts during the 3 memorandums period have reached 45%. That means that a young officer gets 684 euro and a senior with 20 years of service reaches maximum 1.100 euro. We don't get paid for our overtimes, we work also all weekends and we take one day off the week, only if it is possible. The main question here is: how can a young officer live with 684 euro when his transportation expenses reach 150 to 200 euro per month? That is because the department can sent him in places that will need a taxi to go to. How a person is going to live with 500 euro per month, especially when he has to be alert and ready to fight against the organized crime risking his life"?

EL.AS. register all police officers as high school graduates!

Mr. Gerakarakos also reveals that the Ministry of Public Order and Citizens Protection register all police officers as high school graduates although Police Academies are ranked as higher education schools, in order to reduce salary costs!

"It seems that the state makes laws just to violet them the moment after. We, as police officers ask from the people to be lawful and the ministry breaks the law by circumventing our higher education degrees. Where can we find justice? Although there are court judgments in our favor nothing is change".