Cyprus Mail 16 June 2020 - by Evie Andreou
Police Chief Kypros Michaelides
Retiring police chief Kypros Michaelides urged the public on Tuesday to remain close to the force since trust and cooperation were major factors in fulfilling its task.
In a farewell message the outgoing chief said in the year that he has been in office, the force managed to regain the public’s trust, which was in tatters at the time he took over.
Michaelides was appointed police chief in May 2019 after the president dismissed the previous chief over his handling of a serial killer who killed five women and two children. Michaelides retires at the end of the month after 43 years in the force.
The outgoing chief spoke of the conditions under which he took over the helm of the police, and his own and the force’s struggle to regain the people’s trust.
“The conditions were and continue to be difficult for the police,” he said, adding that his appointment as police chief was an honour but also “a huge responsibility,” because of the murders of “defenceless women, mothers, and children.”
“Seven innocent souls were lost in the hands of a brutal murderer,” he said.
Michaelides said everyone inevitably blamed the police. Fifteen officers have since been charged for failing to carry out their duties in the case.
“In this difficult situation that we experienced, my first concern as chief, was to regain the society’s trust in the police and to restore the citizens’ sense of security,” he said.
At the same time, he said, he had the responsibility to act decisively, together with the investigative team, to fully investigate the cases and to preserve the police officers’ standing.
Michaelides said he had asked people to give police the chance to demonstrate their ability, readiness, and effectiveness to provide security and protection.
“Today and over time, I feel that you have trusted us and we rose to the occasion,” he said.
He also referred to their task to effectively assist in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, “maintaining the reputation of our country as one of the safest destinations and enhancing its positive image abroad.”
“I am generally satisfied with the wide recognition that our effort has received, as according to public opinion polls, around 70 per cent of citizens highly value the police handling of the situation and our stance on safeguarding public health,” he said.
He also said that his team worked hard to regain lost ground, focusing on key areas of policing. “We have reviewed internal procedures, orders and coordination methods. We stressed the need to tackle serious and organised crime, to continue to step up counter-terrorism measures, to reduce serious traffic accidents, to take further action on irregular migration, and to tackle the long-standing problem of corruption.”
He said he is leaving his police chief position, “feeling deeply satisfied, because we have succeeded in police officers regaining the prestige they deserve, but also the trust of the citizens.”
