A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister George Papandreou, decided on Monday to appoint government Vice President Theodoros Pangalos to coordinate action for downtown Athens and the handling of unlawful behavior.
The measures agreed on include daily patrols that will also be assisted by members of the Municipal police, targeted action by the Crime Prevention and Suppression Group, large operations of generalized police checks at least on a weekly basis, the creation of a bicycle road network and the turning of old hotels in central Athens into student dormitories.
Addressing the cabinet meeting, Premier Papandreou said according to reports, that Athens is the place where the meaning of a democratic city was born, but today the citizen lives isolated from the city.
The meeting focused on the existing problems in the center of Athens and was also attended by Athens Mayor George Kaminis and Attica Regional Governor Yiannis Sgouros.
The Prime Minister said the condemnation of violence is not enough, stressing that a new enactment of democracy is required in the country that will secure institutions which will cultivate the citizens’ participation.
“Our intervention does not aim simply at the center’s self-evident security, but at the city finding its soul once again,” Papandreou added.
(source: ana-mpa)
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