– With the new e-PtP online system, citizens will be able to electronically apply for permits and certificates
– The new bill provides for the abolition or merger of police departments and directorates
– It provides for a 50% increase in the Special Repressive – Anti-Terrorist Unit
– N. Dendias: What should we do? I wish all of Greece had “gardeners”
– There is no longer a Greek Police Headquarters and the Staff is now being created
This is how the wishes of the government and especially of the Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias are described with the submission of the law for the restructuring of the Greek Police, Fire Brigade and Civil Protection services.
The main objective of the new legislation is the timely response of the police, fire brigade and civil protection with the least… financial cost. Great importance is given by the competent minister to the projects of the electronic e-crime platform for the electronic reporting of cases by citizens and even the same-day electronic receipt of certificates.
"Electronic" police
In the new bill, special emphasis is placed on the utilization of new technologies with the aim of providing advanced electronic services, both to the Security Forces and to citizens.
The method of collecting and managing information for the prevention and response to risks from criminal acts and natural disasters is being significantly upgraded, and interoperability between Security Forces and Public Administration bodies is being strengthened.
The administrative mechanism of the Corps is directed towards a faster and more efficient online service for citizens and simplification of administrative procedures (for example, regarding the issuance of permits and certificates).
Relevant projects include the digitization of the Hellenic Police archives (digital police), the electronic identification of citizens (e-ID), the upgrade of the national SCHENGEN 2nd generation system, the system of integrated electronic services to citizens (e-PtP on line), the use of a single call number for identification and rescue (112), the system for recording traffic violations and accidents and the digital notification and fire response system.
With the digitization of the Archives, from a single entry point, the official user will have direct access to search the archives, resulting in the immediate and reliable collection of data on a person who has concerned the authorities. With electronic recognition - identification, the digital registration of fingerprints is implemented and the immediate identification of persons at a national and international level is achieved.
With the e-PtP online, citizens are given the opportunity to electronically submit requests for permits and certificates. With the traffic violations and accidents recording system, traffic violations are confirmed and registered immediately and electronically.
Related is the completion of relevant digital services projects within 2015, with maximum utilization of the ESPA 2007-2013. It is noted that overall, the absorption rate in the ESPA will exceed 65% by next June – from 0.2% in June 2012 – with a target of 80% by the end of the year.
Citizens' access to police services is facilitated and their requests are processed more quickly, which now, instead of taking several days or months today, will be completed either on the same day or in a few days.
Terrorist… crises
In drafting the new legislation, the "risk of domestic and imported terrorism and the challenges related to it" has been taken into account. The law provides for the reduction of the structures of the Hellenic Police by 43%, from 120 to 68, of the Fire Department by 30%, from 92 to 66, and of the Civil Protection by 36%. There is no budget for these radical changes, and they will come from self-financing from existing resources, Mr. Dendias replied to a relevant question. The new legislation provides for the abolition and merger of police directorates and police departments in the region with the aim of a mobile and not a stationary police presence. The procedures for implementing the new law will last 4-5 months, while the first signs of "operation" will become visible in an additional 6 months, as estimated by the competent minister.
Asked whether the assessments of Hellenic Police officers will take place normally in March, according to the new organizational chart, Mr. Dendias avoided answering, however, the timetables he gave will most likely postpone them to next October.
The responsible minister announced the unique "increase" in police force. A 50% increase in the personnel of the EKAM (Special Suppressive Anti-Terrorist Unit) is planned. Mr. Dendias justified this action as follows: "What should we do? I wish all of Greece had 'gardeners', but it is not possible. The trained uniformed officer must be close to the citizen.".
Like… America
The first part of the new law concerns the Ministry of Public Order, which, according to the competent minister, existed as a shell that exploited the services of the Greek Police in order to exist. A General Directorate of Finance and Staff Planning is established within the ministry, that is, an administrative body is created. It is also “de-policed” and transformed into a political ministry with its services.
The Hellenic Police will be structured under the new system into three distinct autonomous branches. One is the Public Order branch, the other is the Security branch, and the third is the Aliens and Border Protection branch.
When asked if in the new law restructuring the Hellenic Police, some structures and operations are equivalent to those of the… FBI, Mr. Dendias replied: “As this specific legislation is the Security branch, we could say that it is the Greek… FBI.”.
This specific branch concerns the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Countering Terrorism, it will operate at the level of a General Directorate, will be subordinate to the Hellenic Police Headquarters and will be controlled by the General Inspector of Security. Its mission will be the prevention and suppression of extremely serious criminal offenses and in particular offenses that have the characteristics of organized crime, as well as the response to specific crimes of violence and in particular terrorist and extremist criminal acts, "which are directed against the security of the state and the democratic regime".
The Hellenic Police Headquarters also ceases to exist. A Staff is created as a supporting structure for the three autonomous Branches.
The Minister of Public Order claimed that the response time of the Police to the citizen's call will be reduced by 25%. Relevant measurements have been made, from the total working hours of the police officer, how many of them are allocated to visible security services. The highest percentage is held by Great Britain with a percentage of 19.3%, while Greece holds 9.7%. The ambition is for this percentage to reach at least 13.5% in a year, which means an improvement of approximately 50%. The Minister of Public Order spoke of a "revolution" in the service of the citizen.
Qualifications and duties
For the creation of the new law, all the noteworthy international examples in the police forces of other countries were studied and also their adaptation to the necessary Greek conditions and specificities. The competent minister noted that this is the proposal of the competent ministry and the government to the Greek Parliament for the regulation of a very important area. Any new idea, Mr. Dendias pointed out, that arises during the debate in Parliament can be utilized.
It is noted that the 2nd part of the restructuring, after its passage, includes at least four presidential decrees. A Presidential Decree for the reorganization of the Police services at the regional level, another for the amendment of the institutional framework for the transfers of police personnel, an amendment to the existing Presidential Decree 24/1997 for the hierarchy and development of Police Officers and also a Presidential Decree for the rational promotion of human resources with a qualification list, certification of skills and a list of duties of uniformed and civilian Police personnel.
Changes in Fire Department
The Fire Department is transformed into the operational arm of the country's civil protection. With the new organizational chart, the Fire Department is divided into two main branches: the Operations Branch, throughout Greece, and the Support Branch.
With the new legislation, the Operational Centers are merged, so that in each region there is no multiplicity of Operational Centers, but there is one Operational Center with the responsible Fire Department Officer in charge, who also functions as an overall coordinator for dealing with problems.
By upgrading the General Secretariat of Civil Protection through the Bill, a reduction of its structures by 36% is achieved, but
Its mission is expanding, as it now includes disaster risk assessment issues, as well as monitoring the implementation of civil protection planning.
The problem of the fragmentation of responsibilities between the forces of the National Police, the Civil Protection forces, and the local government organizations is being radically addressed and unified operational centers are being created at the regional level that will coordinate both the forces of the National Police, the executives of the Local Governments, and the volunteers, under a single Administration. Everyone is now placed under the Administration of the competent Commander of the Fire Department during the course of the incident.
The new law establishes a National Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction with a 5-year horizon, aimed at increasing the level of citizen safety, as well as enhancing sustainable development. This is specified through the National Early Warning Plan, which is prepared each year by the Civil Protection Coordinating Authority.
A National Early Warning System is also being established with the aim of ensuring the interoperability of all systems for protecting citizens from the occurrence of catastrophic phenomena or events.
The new legislation includes the utilization, encouragement and mobilization of all volunteers by creating a unified registry of civil protection and fire brigade volunteers.
All volunteers will be certified through the National School of Civil Protection of the Fire Academy, where they will be trained, while their long-standing requests will be met, such as their insurance coverage and the granting of their permits so that they can participate in responding to emergencies.
Business "cost calculator"
A Business Costing Department is established to process financial data for the purpose of assessing the cost-benefit of all incidents within the competence of the fire department. The Regional Commander now determines the maximum cost of vehicle repair and maintenance to control waste.
Many vehicles were immobilized due to their intense exertion in the fire field due to a small breakdown. Until now, a budget would have to be made, go to the financial services, be approved and then the vehicle would be sent for repair. Now the vehicle will be repaired immediately, by order of the Regional Governor who is coordinating the fire, from the budget of his Region, thus saving time and personnel since less bureaucracy will be required.
Finally, with the establishment of an Inspection and Control Directorate that reports directly to the Chief and operates under the supervision of a First Instance Prosecutor, the accountability and control mechanisms in the Fire Department are strengthened.
THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION OF THE BILL
Source: newsit.gr
