Filenews 21 January 2026 - by Petros Axfentiou
A murder in Paphos, an attempted murder, clashes and shootings in the center of Larnaca make up a disturbing scene of violence that unfolded from last Saturday afternoon until the early hours of Sunday.
Although not all cases are linked to organized crime, the sequence of serious incidents in such a short period of time brings back to the fore the issue of the increase in crime, while intensifying the feeling of insecurity that prevails in the ranks of citizens.
Criminologist Dimitra Tsitsi spoke to Filenews about the issue of crime in Cyprus and the weaknesses of the state mechanism, outlining a worrying landscape in which, as she argues, organized crime finds fertile ground for action. As she points out, the understaffing of the Police, the lack of modern equipment, the institutional confrontations and the non-resolution of the migration issue contribute decisively to the increase in the number of crimes crime. "I have always said that crime in Cyprus is increasing rapidly. This has nothing to do with the citizens or society, but with the very incomplete system and institutions of the Republic of Cyprus," she said initially.
She explained that there are serious shortcomings in the Police, as well as confrontations between Ministries and institutions, resulting in the creation of fertile ground for the increase in crime, both by locals and foreigners. She stressed that the increase in crime is directly linked to the non-resolution of the immigration issue. "The authorities recognize that there is a problem with immigration, but at the same time nothing changes."
She pointed out that, while organized crime acts undisturbed, citizens watch public fights around police hours. "There is understaffing in the Police, but also a lack of modern equipment that would help the members of the force in their work. At a time when serious crimes are being committed, the Chief's concern is whether the police officers' schedules will change," she said.
She noted that in other countries they identify the problem and hit it. "We are an island with a population of one million. We are neither England nor Germany to justify such crime rates. In European countries, when a crime occurs, it is not only reproduced on social media and in the media, but solutions are also promoted. In Cyprus, they cannot manage the situation."
"How will patrols be increased when there are no patrol cars?"
She then commented on the measures and announcements of the Minister of Justice for an increase in patrols. "How will patrols be increased when there are no patrol cars? It is known that there is a shortage of patrol cars. So how will the measures announced be implemented? We constantly hear the word 'will'."
At the same time, she said that there is a strong sense of insecurity among citizens. "There is a lot that can change in Cyprus. First of all, they should start implementing what they announce publicly. If they are not feasible, then they should not announce them. The issue of understaffing must also be resolved and the technological upgrade of the Police must proceed."
She underlined that abroad police officers have specialization and remain in the same field. "In Cyprus, they are moving a police officer from the Traffic Police to the Crime Fighting Department just because that's how the transfers were made." She added that continuous training is being carried out abroad, while in Cyprus "there are untrained police officers in key positions".
Asked about the so-called "Cypriot FBI" that was announced in the previous period, she said that "we want to hope that it will help, however we must first look at the composition and work of the team. It is in the right direction, as long as there is a result."
"The underworld is now ruled by foreigners"
She also referred to the action of foreign groups involved in organized crime, noting that it was expected that there would be clashes between Greek Cypriots and foreigners. "The problem is not with legal immigrants, but with those who come illegally and act illegally in Cyprus."
She underlined that now the control of the night is largely held by foreigners. "The underworld is now run by foreigners," she said, adding that "foreign" crimes are being implemented with new ways of acting and modern technologies.
Finally, she noted that an immediate measure that could help is the descent of foreign experts to Cyprus for the training of members of the Police. "There must be a substantial technological upgrade in the Corps, which will help both in the prevention and detection of organized crime."
