Filenews 9 May 2023
As one of the most dangerous professions in Cyprus today, the operator of cameras of the photo-labelling system is evolving, resulting in employees leaving their jobs and the company being unable to replace them.
The incident on Sunday morning against a van driver of the photo-tagging company deeply worried both the managing company and the police. Yesterday, an emergency meeting was held at the Police Headquarters under Deputy Chief Dimitris Demetriou and representatives of the Electromechanical Service and the contractor company. As we are told, after the situation with the repeated incidents against camera operators was raised, it was decided to take additional measures of both prevention and repression. Police will step up their efforts to find the perpetrators and increase prevention measures near the vans with cameras.
As mentioned by the representative of the company that manages the camera system, some employees, due to the threats they receive, have left their jobs, while due to the situation there is no interest in hiring new operators. As explained in the meeting, the drivers are just doing their job and the only issue that arises is where the van is parked. That is why there will be better communication with the Police, so that citizens do not accuse them of hiding and trapping them.
The latest incident occurred when an employee, who was alone in the vehicle, was conducting speed checks on the Kantou - Omodos road near Kyvides in Limassol. According to what he testified to the police, at 2.10 in the morning a group of six masked men attacked him causing extensive damage to the vehicle. At the same time they broke the driver's glass and hit him with a stone on the head. Frightened, he developed speed and after driving for about one and a half kilometres, he called an ambulance. At the Limassol hospital where he was transferred, the attending doctors found that he had abrasions and a head injury. It was found that there were no security cameras installed in the van, while ten minutes earlier there had been a police patrol near the vehicle. As soon as he departed, the masked men acted.
This is one of many serious incidents that have occurred against camera operators. Last year on October 15, an unknown person fired two shots at a vehicle with a camera, shattering the passenger window. On October 26, an unknown person fired at another vehicle of the company that operates the cameras, while conducting speed checks on the Rizoelia-Ayia Napa highway near Pyla.
Also, as the assistant director of the Traffic Department at the Police Headquarters, Haris Evripidou, told "F", in many cases citizens stoned the vehicle and the mobile camera operator. These incidents are taking place on a nationwide basis, according to Mr. Evripidou, after incidents were recorded in Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia. In fact, in one case the camera operator was seriously injured by stone-throwing, since according to Mr. Evripidou, the stone found the employee's head and as a result he was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. In other cases, drivers, who realize how the cameras "recorded" them, stop, get out of their vehicle and head towards the van in wild moods, threatening and cursing the person operating the system. For these incidents there were also convictions of citizens, as well as for some who expressed threats online.
