The announcements of the leadership of the Police Force shortly before the start of the new year (30/12) brought back to the fore for good the issue of the reorganization of the Cyprus Police, but also an issue that is considered an open secret by representatives of the Mass Media.
The reason for the noticeable restriction in the flow of information from the police force to journalists. The phenomenon occurred shortly after the fall of 2024 and the change of guard in the highest administrative layers of the Police. Then Themistos Arnaoutis and Panikos Stavrou were appointed to the positions of chief and deputy chief of police, respectively, replacing Stelios Papatheodorou and Dimitris Demetriou.
By the beginning of 2025, those journalists who had daily contact with police reporting had already found that there had been a shift in communication policy. We are not referring to a reversal of the communication sub-directorate, more commonly known as the press office of the Police. In general, there was a change in attitude towards media officials, who admittedly began to be treated with considerable reservation.
Tidying up policy
This is clearly attributed to a conscious tidying up policy in terms of conveying information to media representatives. In two separate cases over a period of seven months and in meetings with journalists, the Chief of Police has made clear reports showing that on his own initiative an attempt was made to control the flow of information.
From the context it emerged that he considered that some publications that preceded his own tenure as head of the Corps were more revealing than they should have been and were detrimental to the operational plans of the Police.
One of the things that was commented on by a senior member of the Force was the one on 26/3/2024 by our newspaper, in which reference was made to a two-month campaign by the Police on the streets and was judged to be excessive in terms of the details it included.
The documents
"F" has also received additional testimonies from other journalists and is not satisfied with findings or information from the writer about what has already been recorded in this publication.
In addition, it is reported that there were verbal instructions to officers and heads of services regarding the briefing of the representatives of the printed and electronic press.
Our newspaper, looking for documents that are indicative of what we capture in the above lines, came up with two documents, one dated 20/12/2024 and a much more recent one sent on 11/11/2025. Both are judged to be particularly discouraging in the effort of journalists to secure information on cases of public interest.
Confidentiality and corruption...
The first document has as its subject "Confidentiality during the investigation of Disciplinary and Criminal Cases" and it is pointed out that those police officers who are in charge of investigating them, should avoid even discussions between them about them.
In fact, there is also a police provision on confidentiality, which, among other things, states that "every member of the Police should not discuss police actions with any citizen for any reason...".
It is also pointed out in regulation "8" of the disciplinary code, which refers to the disciplinary offense of corruption.
In journalistic circles that became aware of the content of the above note, it was commented that it is particularly deterrent to obtain information even for a case of public interest and interest, for which an official is being investigated.
It was a common finding that journalistic control - and by extension the service of transparency and society - with such threatening notes for all police officers may become impossible.
Journalists' testimonies
As far as the second document, the most recent (11/11/25), that is, it has as its subject "The taking of statements from journalists during the investigation of criminal cases". It was sent by the competent assistant chief of Police.
In it, it is noted, among other things, that "if the taking of a statement by a journalist is deemed necessary for the purposes of proving the offenses under investigation, it should be taken under the above conditions and in case there is any doubt about the necessity or the way in which they were taken, then instructions should be sought from the Legal Service".
The wording of the note in question cannot be described as directly hostile to journalists. It also points out the preservation of journalistic secrecy and the freedom of the press. It was written on the occasion of testimonies that were attempted to be taken by television media journalists.
However, even under these circumstances, the question arises: How legitimate is it to enter the... A journalist who exercised his profession by publishing to serve the public interest is a frame of interrogations for any criminal case?
The counter-argument
"F" contacted the Police spokesman, Byron Vyronos, on Thursday morning, asking for relevant positions. We brought to his attention that this article deals with the changes that are being attempted in the police force, but also the issue of information to the media. We submitted the position that there is now a conscious attempt to control the flow of information to the media with verbal and other instructions from the leadership of the police force.
Mr. Byron said that the respect of the Cyprus Police for the work of journalists is taken for granted. He added that there is no question of obstructing the work of journalists, with whom there is always a willingness to cooperate well, in the context of mutual understanding. He also referred to the nature of the duties of the Police and the need for careful handling of cases under investigation.
Administrative Investigation for Critical Infrastructure
Last autumn, "F" was officially informed that a member of the Force had been assigned to conduct an administrative investigation into our publication in the previous months. It had as its subject a case of burglary in a critical infrastructure of the Republic. Although there was no official information from the Police about the event, however, after our information, we investigated it and made a brief publication that spoke of two arrests of Greek Cypriots in connection with the case, following coordinated actions by the Police. We invoked journalistic secrecy over the phone and mentioned that our profession does not even allow us to give indications as to how we ended up securing the information.
14 months later, he analyzed the vision of the reorganization
- Anti-Bribery Management System Adopted
From October 1, when Themistos Arnaoutis officially took office, he had sent the message that he would proceed with the reorganization of the police force. In his speech during his confirmation ceremony at the Presidential Palace, he had said that "in the last 64 years we have not had any substantial reorganization, this means that it becomes necessary to do so."
After 14 months, on December 30, the chief announced the three pillars of his vision for the Police of the future.
"The Cyprus Police performs a very important task and that is why the moves made must be very careful," he initially said at the press conference at the premises of the Police Academy on 30/12 and added: "The vision of 'Cyprus Police 2030' is to become a modern European Police, which will be flexible and focused on the safety of citizens and society. The strategy will be based on three pillars, the strategy."
The pillars and objectives, three objectives each, were analysed by the leader and are summarised as follows:
>> Operational Capacity and Efficiency: 1. Improvement in the response and management of citizens' complaints/requests and critical incidents, 2. Implementation of information policing, 3. Tackling serious and organised crime.
>> Human Resources: 1. Proper management of personnel and improvement of the quality of Police services, 2. Improvement of the procedures for the evaluation and promotion of members of the Police, 3. Anti-corruption.
>> Technology: 1. Upgrading the communication and interaction of citizens with the Police, 2. Modernization of the technological infrastructure, 3. Resilience to cyberattacks.
During the presentation made to the journalists by the Chief of Police, he referred to the actions taken to implement the aforementioned goals that have been set. It is indicative that referring to the efforts for the Police to improve in the field of responding and managing citizens' complaints/requests, he said, among other things: "We saw the problem, we studied it and we are at the stage where contracts will be signed with a company to create a modern coordination center – Command Control and Communication. So that we can receive complaints on a nationwide basis, holistically in one center, (...) so that we can respond immediately and effectively."
Speaking, moreover, about the implementation of Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP), he revealed that at the end of this month high-ranking Europol officials will come to Cyprus "and one of the issues that will be discussed is strategic and operational analysis".
In addition, in order to combat corruption within the police force, Mr. Arnaoutis referred to the adoption of an anti-bribery management system. He said, among other things: "We are at the stage of implementing a project for the implementation of ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery Management System) in the Police on corruption issues. We already had a study by a firm in the context of human resources management and the GRECO report came with some recommendations. In the context of GRECO's recommendations, we proceeded to adopt ISO 37001 in the Police. (…) Already from the first months we had arrests of police officers who did not behave well, as they should. We will not hesitate to do our job for anyone to any degree. In order to have operational capability, you must have good human resources."
He also announced that procedures are underway in order to change the system of evaluation and promotion of members of the Police. He said: "Actions have already been taken with the law commissioner, we are in the process of preparing amending regulations to go to Parliament. It may not be the right time to go to Parliament now, before the elections."
Determination to win boots on the streets
Most of the positions of the Chief of Police at the press conference of December 30 were spent on his decision to change the hours of about 1,000 members of the Force who worked with a 12X36 shift system. Now from January 1, their hours have changed. More specifically, the more than 1,000 police officers who work with a 12X36 shift system, instead of 12 hours, work 11 hours. In this way, he believes that he will gain a number of police officers for policing duties. Each of the 1,000 police officers who work for one hour less in the 12-hour day loses 15 days off per year. Based on the leadership's plan, each of those affected will be able to offer an additional 15 days of service within a year. The Chief of Police, announcing the measure and answering questions from journalists, revealed his determination. In fact, at the press conference, commenting on the trade unionists' disagreement with the measure, he stressed: "The reason it is being done is to have more people outside. And I tell you, we will reduce the working hours from 12 hours to 11 hours and it will not affect us in any way in our operational capacity and we will have our fans for longer."
As it is known, reactions followed from the leadership of the police unions, the Cyprus Police Association (PASYDY) and the Police Force Branch "EQUALITY".
In fact, these trade unions that said that their affected members lose 15 days of rest and 1,000 per year from the measure, seem willing to exhaust the trade union means to suspend/overturn the decision.
Last Wednesday, the head of the Police Branch of "EQUALITY", Nikos Loizides, the Chief of Police, exceeded his authority because, according to his words, he had to first get approval from the Council of Ministers before putting this decision into force.
However, a competent source from the Cyprus Police commented to "F" that the leader's decision is not devoid of legality and that before implementing it, he complied with what is provided by the legislation and the relevant regulations.
Comment: What do such tactics and practices always reveal?
Journalists around the world have often been confronted with control tactics in the flow of information or selective briefings. The issue, however, is not only about any obstruction of the freedom of the press, the difficulties that journalists face every day in their work. The issue here is related to transparency and the service of the public interest. History has taught us that policies of underestimating problems or controlling information have always been accompanied by an attempt by power to cover up negative phenomena.
F.M.
