in-cyprus 14 January 2026 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
Cyprus’s justice minister pledged to put more police on the streets, particularly at night, to tackle organised crime.
Constantinos Fytiris, making his first appearance before the House Legal Affairs Committee, used the phrase “boots on the streets” to describe plans to deploy more officers on patrol while keeping only essential staff in offices.
“As soon as I took office I wanted to see the prison issue and how to combat organised crime that has taken on dimensions, gets into very organised situations,” Fytiris said. “We must be one step ahead and our goal is prevention.”
The minister said the government has increased checks across all cities, with police going out mainly at nights. The goal is for citizens to walk safely, he told MPs.
Fytiris has visited the Central Prisons four times since taking office and pledged to return “as many times as necessary until we solve the problems”.
“It’s a prison from 1890, we have situations where crimes originate, mobile phones or other things get in that make control of the prison difficult,” he said.
New prison may take four years
The government will proceed with a new prison facility, though Fytiris warned it may take four years or more to complete. “Maybe I won’t make it,” he acknowledged, adding that authorities have identified a location.
Asked to reveal where the new prison would be built, Fytiris refused, saying: “Because whenever something is going to happen, even if it benefits residents, there’s an upheaval.” He said he would name the location only after consultations with local residents.
On the contentious issue of police working hours, Fytiris said that if any decision deviates from regulations it would obviously be corrected, but stressed that internal matters of scheduling remain clearly within the Police Chief’s authority.
“Hierarchy must be maintained, institutions exist to regulate these issues,” he said. He added that dissatisfied officers have legal remedies available, and it was not his job to place the Police Chief outside his competencies.
Fytiris announced he has formed a committee to establish measurable criteria for promoting police officers and prison guards. Officers will be scored according to the duties they perform, he said.
