The Limassol municipal council unanimously decided not to pay the amount of 43,000 euros, requested by the police for protecting order at a large carnival parade.
This decision was made in an atmosphere of consensus among municipal advisers, who expressed the opinion that the protection of order is the duty of the police and should be funded from the state budget without burdening the municipalities oriented the public.
According to the Politis newspaper, the position of the Limassol municipality supports the municipal union, and it is possible that other Cyprus municipalities will follow his example if they are called to pay for the police at mass events. According to municipal advisers, this issue concerns public security, and not a private event, so the authority of the police cannot be transferred to municipalities.
During the discussion, the issue of overtime work of the police was also addressed, while the advisers emphasized that the police should receive decent wages, but it should be covered from the police budget, and not from municipal funds. In addition, it was emphasized that the municipality of Limassol is not the organizer of carnival events, but they are part of the city tradition and are free for the population, so there are no income that could cover such expenses.
The confrontation between the municipality of Limassol and the police, apparently, is aggravated, since the decision of the municipality can lead to changes in the method of financing the protection of public order at mass events in the future.
Source: Sigmalive.com
