The Cyprus Police (, ''i''), is the national police service of the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

, falling under the Ministry of Justice and Public Order since 1993. The duties and responsibilities of the Cyprus police are set out in the amended Police Law (N.73(1)) of 2004 and include the maintenance of law and order, the prevention and detection of crime, as well as arresting and bringing offenders to justice.

History

Although the history of

Law enforcement in Cyprus The Cyprus Police (, ''i''), is the national police service of the Republic of Cyprus, falling under the Ministry of Justice and Public Order (Cyprus), Ministry of Justice and Public Order since 1993. The duties and responsibilities of the Cypr ...

goes back to 1879 when the first Police Law was passed by the then British Colonial Government, which operated a mounted gendarmerie force known as the Cyprus Military Police, the history of the Cyprus Police begins with the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. In 1960 two Public Security Forces were established within the framework of the Constitution: the Police Force, which was responsible for policing the

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

s, and the

Gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

, which was responsible for policing

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

areas. A Greek-Cypriot Chief and a Turkish-Cypriot Chief administered the two Forces respectively. The two forces of the police were joined to form the present police service during the year 1964, shortly after the intercommunal troubles between the Greek and the Turkish communities, as a result of which the Turkish Cypriot officers abandoned their posts. Additionally the conflict created great problems for the police, who had to handle the situation, along with the then sparsely manned Cypriot Army, because it was the only organized force. With the creation of the

Cypriot National Guard The National Guard of Cyprus (), also known as the Greek Cypriot National Guard or simply the National Guard, is the military force of the Republic of Cyprus. It consists of air, land, sea and special forces elements, and is highly integrated wit ...

in 1964, the duties of military nature were transferred to the National Guard and the police was limited back to its usual duties.Κυβερνητική Πύλη Διαδικτύου Also notable is that a museum dedicated to the history of the Cyprus Police and Law enforcement in Cyprus in general exists, with a history of its own. The Cyprus Police Museum, owned by the Cyprus Police and managed by the Department A' of the Police Headquarters is open to the general public.

Authorities

The Cyprus Police operates and exercises its authorities throughout the territory of the Republic of Cyprus based on the following Laws and Regulations: * The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus * Police Law (N.73(I)/2004)Police Law (N.73(I)/2004) * Police Regulations * Police Standing Orders * Criminal Code Cap.154 * Criminal Procedure Law Cap.155 * Evidence Law Cap-9 * The Processing of Personal Data (Protection of the Individual) Law 138(1)/2001 The legal framework within which the Cyprus Police exists and operates is determined by the Constitution, Police Law Cap.285 and other laws that provide the authority for investigation, detention, arrest, questioning and prosecution of offenders of the Law.

Structure and organisation

The structure and organisation of the Cyprus Police is governed by Police Ordinance 1/10 and is formed as stated below:

Headquarters

The Police Headquarters is divided into different Departments/Directorates/Services and Units, each specializing in a different field/aspect of policing.

Departments

*Department A' (Administration) *Department B' (Traffic, Transport) *Department C' (Criminal Investigations, Prosecutors) *Department D' (Scientific & Technical Support) *Research and Development Department

Directorates

*European Union & International Police Cooperation Directorate *Materials & Supplies Management Directorate *Airports Security Directorate *Finance Directorate *Directorate of Professional Standards

Services

*Aliens & Immigration Service *Drug Law Enforcement Service *Forensic Investigations Service *Audit & Inspection Service *Central Intelligence Service

Units

* Cyprus Police Academy * Emergency Response Unit * Presidential Guard Unit * Port & Marine Police * Cyprus Police Aviation Unit (Previously named Police Air Wing)

Divisions

The Cyprus Police has one Division for each district of Cyprus. Under this divisions are the Police Stations but also within each Police Division, branches can be created similar to the branches of the Police Headquarters. For example, there is a Headquarters Drug Law Enforcement Service but also a Nicosia, Limassol etc. Drug Law Enforcement Service. Other examples include Headquarters Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.)- Larnaca, Nicosia, Limassol etc. C.I.D. and Headquarters Traffic Department - Nicosia, Limassol etc. Traffic Department . The difference is that the Headquarters units/services etc. operate throughout the territory of the Cyprus Republic while the divisional (provincial) units/services operate mostly within the District that are located. *

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

Limassol Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...

Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...

Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...

Paphos Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: #Old Paphos, Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and #New Paphos, New Paphos. It i ...

* Keryneia * Morphou * ''Fire Service'' - The Fire Service used to operate as an independent Division based in Nicosia but with national coverage up to 15/10/2021 that was established as an independent service.CyLaw ''Because of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation, the Police Divisional Headquarters of Famagusta and Morphou are temporarily housed in Paralimni and Evrychou respectively, while the Kyrenia Police Division has temporarily suspended its operation.''Cyprus Police Official Website

Ranks of the Cyprus Police

Equipment

Vehicles

Markings

Cyprus Police cars are white with a blue stripe that goes around the car. On both sides they have printed on them the words ''POLICE'' and , which means Police in Greek. They also have the logo of the Cyprus Police, usually on the front doors and also have printed on them the Police's website ''www.police.gov.cy''. An exception to this is some of the cars used by the Neighbourhood Police that have the Neighbourhood Police logo instead of the Cyprus Police Logo. On the front part of the car they have again the logo with the words ''POLICE'' and and at the back they could have, depending on the model of the car and the space available, the words Police in Greek and English or just the Cyprus Police insignia or both. On the roof they have printed a distinct number for each one as aerial roof markings. In 2011 a trial version for new markings was used on an old Opel Vectra patrol car. These were half- Battenburg markings with a highly reflective blue-yellow stripe on the sides instead of the solid blue stripe. Additionally the back was covered in reflective yellow-red diagonal stripes and had printed the emergency phone number 112. The front part on the hood of the car had the words and ''POLICE'' printed inverted so that they would appear correctly when seen through a mirror. These markings were not enforced. In 2012 new markings were enforced were the blue stripe although still solid was replaced with a highly reflective one, and the rear horizontal line was replaced from a solid blue stripe to a blue-white diagonal line similar to the rear usually found on vehicles with Battenburg markings. The Cyprus Police also uses unmarked vehicles. Unmarked vehicles are not necessarily covert to be used for undercover work. Most unmarked cars are the same models as the patrol cars and they are mostly used by plain clothed officers such as crime investigators, crime prevention squads, technicians etc. Most of these cars are fitted with sirens and can be seen in the streets with detachable strobe lights.

Lists of vehicles

^*Unless specifically referenced, the dates the vehicles entered service are based on their license plate registration numbers ^*Unless specifically referenced, the dates the vehicles entered service are based on their license plate registration numbers

Aerial vehicles

Boats

In popular culture

Cyprus police has been the main feature and appeared in television shows such as: * "Εσύ Στον Κόσμο Σου", which was a series on

ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a free-to-air television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντένν ...

revolving around a family with the main protagonist being a police officer and showing multiple investigations, mainly organised crime. * "Στα Όρια" which was a series based on fictional investigations by a team police officers, shown on RIK. * "Κάρμα" which was a television series on

Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greece, Greek free-to-air channel, one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...

, based on real criminal events that have happened in Cyprus.

Gallery

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...