The mass burglaries and thefts in shops that took place in various areas of the Paphos district, including Tala and Chloraka, refer to a phenomenon that has been observed repeatedly and internationally.
According to people involved in the security industry, the double-digit number of hits in Paphos and the way they were carried out is identical to the "smash-and-grab" practice, i.e. burglaries and thefts of the "break and grab" type, a phenomenon that has also appeared in other countries.
Since the previous decade, identical strikes had been observed in various countries, including European ones. Indicative are 2011 articles in the English press that we identified and reflected the concern about mass "smash-and-grab" cases, which had taken place in Manchester and the wider Birmingham area.
Typical is the Guardian article that covered the issue and described how hooded youths smashed the windows of dozens of stores and stole high-value goods.
In fact, a British police official stated at the time that the authorities were confronted with inexplicable criminal behavior. "There was no excuse. This is an absurdity to an extent that I have never seen before in my professional career," he had characteristically stated.
As far as the strikes in Paphos are concerned, they occurred in the early hours of Saturday, from midnight until 05:30. Based on what has become known, four persons with their faces covered appear to break shop windows and steal either amounts of money or goods.
According to the resulting data, the Police, specifically the Paphos Police Department, are examining 10 cases involving three gas stations, three pharmacies, two supermarkets and two kiosks. The value of the stolen goods (money and goods) is estimated to reach €4,000, without the material damage having yet been assessed.
This recent delinquency, combined with other incidents, causes concern to the citizens of Paphos. Yesterday's radio statements by the mayor of Paphos, Angelos Onisiforos, on the Third Program of RIK ("Morning Route") are also characteristic.
Mr. Onisiforou, on the occasion of last Saturday's strikes, referred to an incident with distributors last week, but also in general to phenomena of juvenile delinquency and vandalism on public property, wanting to emphasize the need to take drastic measures.
He referred to an upcoming meeting of the heads of the municipal authorities of Paphos with the aim of drawing up a common strategy to deal with such phenomena and reiterated his position on the installation of cameras in public places that will help deal with the problem. He also said that he suggested that MMAD carry out continuous operations.
The spokesman of the Police, Byron Byron, speaking to "F" about the cases that arose in the early hours of Saturday, said that from the first moment the Paphos Police Department began to investigate them. He appeared reassuring saying that the situation has not gotten out of hand and stressed that the Police with various actions and campaigns continues its effort to safeguard the safety of the citizen.
