The Cyprus rural area was faced with an increase in crime. The almost complete absence of the police in areas remote from cities leads to the fact that attackers act absolutely with impunity.
The head of the village council of the village of Alon Mikhalis Nikifor spoke about the incident that occurred in his village. Bruskers broke into the house of an 85-year-old resident who stole a copper cover from a large pan. The value of the subject was small, but the fact of robbery was a strong stress for the hostess. Moreover, when a woman ran out to the street, they almost shot down her in her car.
“They steal not only metal objects, but also everything that, in their opinion, has value and can be sold on the market. There is no police. People in rural areas are vulnerable, ”says Nikifor.
Of particular concern is that the villages remain defenseless for demographic reasons. Young people massively go to cities for work and study, and in the villages they are mainly pensioners. As a result, the elderly residents turn out to be a slight target for thieves, having neither physical strength nor support to protect themselves and their property. Crime here is perceived not just as a household threat, but as a factor that accelerates the extinction of the traditional village structure.
Such incidents were known before. Although for some time the problem was resolved, now it is returning again. The goal of thieves is often the elderly residents, but not only them - under the threat of any home. To combat crime near the building of the village council of Alona, tracking cameras were installed.
The head of the Union of Village Councils Andreas Kitromilidis said that theft of metal remains a constant problem. “After the economic crisis of 2013, we faced her seriously. Later, the situation has calmed down, but now this phenomenon is returning, ”he says.
The union of village councils discusses with the government a plan that provides for at least one policeman in each village cluster. “We proposed to restore the positions of district police officers in all clusters.
Now this idea is discussed in the framework of local government reform, ”said Kitronomilidis.
The text is prepared based on the materials of Cyprus Mail.
