Hellenic Police

Hellenic Police Ελληνική Αστυνομία Elliniki Astynomia
Abbreviation	ΕΛΑΣ
Agency overview
Formed	1 November 1984 (1984-11-01)
Preceding agencies	Hellenic Gendarmerie Cities Police Rural Police YPEA
Jurisdictional structure
National agency	Greece
Operations jurisdiction	Greece
Governing body	Government of Greece
Constituting instrument	Law 1481/1-10-1984
General nature	Civilian police
Operational structure
Overseen by	Ministry of Citizen Protection
Headquarters	Athens, Greece
Sworn members	67,000
Agency executives	Lieutenant General Dimitrios Mallios, Chief of the Hellenic Police Lieutenant General Paschalis Siritoudis, First Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Police (Deputy of Operations) Lieutenant General Charalampos Kalogiros, Second Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Police (Deputy of Staff)
Notables
Anniversary	St. Artemius feast day (Annually, 20 October)
Website
www.astynomia.gr

The Hellenic Police (Greek: Ελληνική Αστυνομία, romanized: Ellinikí Astynomía, abbreviated ΕΛ.ΑΣ.) is the national police service and one of the three security forces of Greece (the others being the Hellenic Fire Service and the Hellenic Coast Guard). It is a large agency with responsibilities ranging from road traffic control to counter-terrorism. Police Lieutenant General Dimitrios Mallios is Chief of the Hellenic Police. He replaced Lazaros Mavropoulos in January 2024. The Hellenic Police force was established in 1984 under Law 1481/1-10-1984 (Government Gazette 152/A/8-10-1984) as the result of the merger of the Gendarmerie (Χωροφυλακή, Chorofylakí, 1833–1984) and the Cities Police (Αστυνομία Πόλεων, Astynomía Póleon, 1921–1984) forces.

According to Law 2800/2000, the Hellenic Police is a security organ whose primary aims are:

• Ensuring peace and order as well as citizens' unhindered social development, a mission that includes general policing duties and traffic safety.
• Prevention and suppression of crime as well as protecting the state and its democratic form of government within the framework of the constitutional order, a mission which includes the implementation of public and state security policy.
• Prevent illegal entry and exit of foreigners in and out of Greece and control of compliance with the provisions related to the entry, exit, residence and work of foreigners in the country, a mission that includes the implementation of foreigners and border protection policy duties.

The Hellenic Police is constituted along central and regional lines. The force takes direction from the Minister for Citizen Protection.

Structure

Overview

Attica General Police Directorate (GADA).

The Hellenic Police force is headed in a de jure sense by the Minister for Citizen Protection (in a similar way that many US Police Departments give an elected civilian the role of Commissioner), and although the Minister sets the general policy direction of Greece's stance towards law and order as a whole, the Chief of Police is the day-to-day head of the force. Underneath the Chief of Police is the First Deputy Chief (Deputy of Operations) of the Hellenic Police whose role is largely advisory, though in the event of the Chief of Police being unable to assume his duties, they will take over as the interim head. The First Deputy Chief also oversees the Division of Operations and Crises Management and coordinates all Operations and Special Police Forces across the country. Underneath the First Deputy Chief is the Second Deputy Chief (Deputy of Staff), who heads the Staff Coordination General Division, the Security and Policing General Division, the Border Protection, Immigration Control and Foreign Persons General Division, the Human Resources Management General Division and the Support General Division. The Policing and Security General Division is by far the most important, and includes the Policing Division, the Community Policing Division, the Public Security Division, the State Security Division (a division protecting the state and its interests equivalent to the NSA in the US, which replaced the National Security Service after its abolition in 1984), the Passports and Other Security Documents Division and the International Police Cooperation Division. Equal in rank to the Chief and the Deputy Chiefs, are the General Police Coordinators of Southern and Northern Greece, who have under their jurisdiction the regional services of both these administrative divisions.

Regional jurisdiction

Greece is divided into two sectors for policing, both headed by a General Police Coordinator with the rank of Lieutenant General. These sectors both contain several regions, headed by Regional Directors, usually with the rank of Major General or sometimes with the rank of Brigadier General.

Southern Greece (General Police Coordinator: Lt. Gen. Panagiotis Poupouzas)

• Attica Region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Athanasios Kampras)
• Central Greece region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Christos Papaphilippou)
• Peloponnese region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Elias Axiotopoulos)
• West Greece region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Theodoros Tsatsaris)
• Ionian Islands region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Georgios Vasiliou)
• South Aegean region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Loukas Thanos)
• Crete region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Nikolaos Spyridakis)

Northern Greece (General Police Coordinator: Lt. Gen. Georgios Papadopoulos)

• Thessaloniki region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Georgios Tzimas)
• East Macedonia and Thrace region – (Regional Director: Brig. Gen. Lampros Tsiaras)
• Central Macedonia region – (Regional Director: Brig. Gen. Elias Skandalis)
• West Macedonia region – (Regional Director: Brig. Gen. Konstantinos Spanoudis)
• Thessaly region – (Regional Director: Brig. Gen. Stylianos Mpilialis)
• Epirus region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Konstantinos Kakousis)
• North Aegean region – (Regional Director: Maj. Gen. Michael Sevdynidis)

Note: While Thessaloniki is not considered a region from a geographical and administrative standpoint, the Thessaloniki General Police Directorate operates as a General Regional Directorate and is actually considered the Hellenic Police's "Northern Greece HQ".

Divisions and Services

Greek police helicopter

The Hellenic Police force has several Divisions and Services under the authority of the Chief of Police (called Special Investigative Divisions with national investigative jurisdiction, which work in conjunction with regional and other police services where necessary) and the 2 Deputy Chiefs (Divisions which mostly oversee and coordinate the various regional services and units). These divisions are usually headed by Major Generals and Brigadier Generals. These are as follows:

Overseen by the Chief of Police:

• Intelligence Management and Analysis Division (ΔΙ.Δ.Α.Π. – Διεύθυνση Διαχείρισης και Ανάλυσης Πληροφοριών – Dieufthinsi Diacheirisis kai Analysis Pliroforion) – This Division as well as all its Regional Departments compile, manage and analyze every piece of intelligence gathered by the different Police Services around the country and collaborate closely with the National Intelligence Service of Greece in order to create comprehensive profiles for criminals and criminal organizations and assist investigative services in their work – (Director: Brig. Gen. Kyriakos Dimitriou)
  • Subdivision of Intelligence Management and Analysis of Northern Greece
  • Regional Departments of Intelligence Management and Analysis
• Organized Crime Division (Δ.Α.Ο.Ε. – Διεύθυνση Αντιμετώπισης Οργανωμένου Εγκλήματος – Dieufthinsi Antimetopisis Organomenou Egklimatos) – The newest division of the Hellenic Police, which started operating on October 17, 2024, and has been dubbed the "Greek FBI", with the duty to combat Organized Crime across the country. It is headquartered in Attica, but there also operates the Subdivision of Organized Crime of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki and the Subdivision of Organized Crime of Crete in Heraklion. – (Director: Maj. Gen. Photis Ntouitsis)
  • Subdivision of Narcotics
    • General Investigations and International Cooperation Department
    • Cocaine Department
    • Heroin Department
    • Cannabis and Synthetic Drugs Department
    • Athens International Airport Narcotics Department
  • Subdivision of Property Crimes and Crimes Against Life
    • Crimes Against Life and Personal Freedom Department (colloquially known as Homicide Department)
    • Property Crimes Department
    • Extortion Crimes Department
  • Subdivision of Human Trafficking and Illegal Items Trafficking
    • Human Trafficking Department
    • Illegal Items Trafficking Department
    • National Cultural Heritage and Antiquities Protection Department
  • Subdivision of Financial Crimes
    • Public Property and European Resources Protection Department
    • Private Property Protection Department
    • Economy Protection Department
    • Insurance Fraud Department
    • Tax Affairs Department
  • Subdivision of Organized Athletic Violence
    • Sports Games Protection Department
    • Special Investigations Department
    • Intelligence Department
  • Subdivision of Intelligence and Operations
    • Intelligence Management and Strategy Analysis Department
      • Intelligence Management and Operational Analysis Office
      • Strategic Analysis Office
      • Intelligence Systems Office
    • Technical Applications Department
    • Witness Protection Department
    • Special Interrogations Department
    • Special Operational Taskforces Department
      • Prevention and Mediation Units
  • Subdivision of Administrative Support
    • Budget Management Department
    • Inventory and Gear Management Department
    • Technical Support Department
    • Processing Department
  • Subdivision of Organized Crime of Northern Greece
  • Subdivision of Organized Crime of Crete
• Special Violent Crimes (Counter-Terrorism) Division (Δ.Α.Ε.Ε.Β. – Διεύθυνση Αντιμετώπισης Ειδικών Εγκλημάτων Βίας (Αντιτρομοκρατική Υπηρεσία) – Dieufthinsi Antimetopisis Eidikon Egklimaton Vias (Antitromokratiki Ypiresia)) – (Director: Brig. Gen. Miltiadis Siafis)
  • Domestic Terrorism Department
  • International Terrorism Department
  • State and Democracy Protection Department
  • Operations and Special Inspections Department
  • Administrative Support Department
  • Intelligence Management Department
  • Subdivision of Special Violent Crimes of Northern Greece
• Cyber Crime Division (ΔΙ.ΔΙ.Κ – Διεύθυνση Δίωξης Κυβερνοεγκλήματος – Dieufthinsi Dioxis Kybernoegklimatos) – (Director: Brig. Gen. Basileios Mpertanos)
  • Telecommunications & Digital Transactions Safety and Software & Copyright Protection Department
  • Juvenile Online Protection Department
  • Special Cases and Digital Investigations Department
  • Online Financial Crimes Department
  • Innovative Actions and Strategies Department
  • Administrative Support and Intelligence Management Department
  • Subdivision of Cyber Crime of Northern Greece
• Forensic Investigations Division (Δ.Ε.Ε. – Διεύθυνση Εγκληματολογικών Ερευνών – Dieufthinsi Egklimatologikon Ereunon) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Spyridon Laskos)
  • Subdivision of Biological and Biochemical Tests and Analyses
    • Biological Materials Analysis Department
      • DNA Evidence Analysis Laboratory
      • Human Identification Laboratory
    • National Genetics Database Department
    • Administrative Support Department
    • Scientific Support Department
  • Subdivision of Crime Scene Investigation and Fingerprint Examination
    • Crime Scene Investigations Department
    • Fingerprint Examination Department
    • Forensic Photography Department
    • Administrative Support Department
  • Subdivision of Laboratories
    • Firearms and Other Instrument Traces Laboratories Department
      • Firearms and Ammunition Technology Laboratory
      • Comparative Ballistic Examinations Laboratory
      • Instrument Traces Examination Laboratory
      • Vehicle Examination - Identification Laboratory
      • Keys and Locks Examination Laboratory
    • Forensic Graphology and Document and Currency Forgery Laboratories Department
      • Forensic Graphology Laboratory
      • Document and Currency Forgery and Counterfeiting Examination Laboratory
    • Chemical and Physic Examinations Department
      • Toxicology Laboratory
      • Glass, Plastics, Synthetic Textile Fibers and Dyes Examination Laboratory
      • Gunshot Residue Examination Laboratory
      • Makeshift Explosive Devices Analysis Laboratory
      • Makeshift Incendiary Devices Analysis Laboratory
      • Makeshift Explosive and Incendiary Devices and other Electronic Circuits Technology Laboratory
      • Pyrotechnics Laboratory
    • Administrative Support Department
  • Subdivision of Digital Forensic Investigation and Analysis
    • Digital Data Management and Quality Control Department
    • Digital Evidence Examination Department
      • Digital Evidence Examination and Analysis Laboratory
      • Data Recovery and Analysis from Non-Functional Digital Systems Laboratory
    • Audiovisual and Photographical Evidence Analysis Department
      • Video and Imagery Examination Laboratory
      • Voice and Audio Examination Laboratory
    • Management of the National Database of Sexual Exploitation Records of Minors Department
  • Subdivision of Forensic Investigations of Northern Greece
  • Regional Departments and Offices of Forensic Investigations

Overseen by the First Deputy Chief (Deputy of Operations):

• Government Officials and other Susceptible Targets Protection General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Προστασίας Επισήμων και άλλων Ευπαθών Στόχων – Geniki Dieufthinsi Prostasias Episimon kai allon Eufpathon Stochon) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Marinos Stagakis)
  • President Protection Service (Υπηρεσία Προστασίας του Προέδρου της Δημοκρατίας – Ypiresia Prostasias tou Proedrou tis Dimokratias) – Equivalent of the US Secret Service
  • Prime Minister Protection Service (Υπηρεσία Προστασίας Προέδρου της Κυβέρνησης – Ypiresia Prostasias Proedrou tis Kybernisis)
  • Parliament Security Service (Υπηρεσία Ασφαλείας της Βουλής – Ypiresia Asfalias tis Boulis)
  • Cabinet Members Security Service (Υπηρεσία Ασφαλείας Μελών της Κυβέρνησης – Ypiresia Asfalias Melon tis Kybernisis)
  • Foreign Government Officials and other Susceptible Targets Protection Service (Υπηρεσία Προστασίας Αλλοδαπών Αξιωματούχων και Ευπαθών Στόχων – Ypiresia Prostasias Allodapon Axiomatouchon Kai Eufpathon Stochon)
• Division of Operations and Crises Management (Διεύθυνση Επιχειρήσεων και Διαχείρησης Κρίσεων – Dieufthinsi Epicheiriseon and Diacheirisis Kriseon) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Theodoros Vagias)
  • Coordination, Administrative and Technical Support Department
  • Operational Planning, Collaborations and Training Department
    • Police Negotiators Squad
  • Surveillance Instruments Management Department
  • Critical Infrastructure, People and Public Places Protection Department
  • Hybrid Threats and Strategic Communication Department
  • Operational Command Center
• Police Special Forces Division (Δ.Ε.Α.Δ – Διεύθυνση Ειδικών Αστυνομικών Δυνάμεων – Dieufthinsi Eidikon Astynomikon Dynameon) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Panagiotis Dimakareas)
  • Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit (E.K.A.M. – Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα – Eidiki Katastaltiki Antitromokratiki Monada) – Equivalent of the American SWAT
  • Subdivision of Explosive Devices Disposal and K-9 Operators (Υποδιεύθυνση Εξουδετέρωσης Εκρηκτικών Μηχανισμών και Συνοδών Αστυνομικών Σκύλων - Ypodieufthinsi Exoudeterosis Ekriktikon Mechanismon kai Synodon Astynomikon Skylon)
    • Department of Explosive Devices Disposal (Τ.Ε.Ε.Μ. – Τμήμα Εξουδετέρωσης Εκρηκτικών Μηχανισμών - Tmima Exoudeterosis Ekriktikon Mechanismon)
      • Regional Bomb Squad Units
    • Department of K-9 Operators (Τμήμα Συνοδών Αστυνομικών Σκύλων - Tmima Synodon Astynomikon Skylon)
      • Regional K-9 Units
  • Subdivision of Special Police Forces of Northern Greece
• Hellenic Police Air Force Division (Διεύθυνση Εναερίων Μέσων Ελληνικής Αστυνομίας – Dieufthinsi Enaerion Meson Ellinikis Astynomias) – This used to be part of the Police Special Forces Division, but got promoted to a standalone Division in 2016. – (Director: Brig. Gen. Charalampos Syrogiannis)
  • Subdivision of Manned Aircraft (Υποδιεύθυνση Επανδρωμένων Αεροσκαφών – Ypodieufthinsi Epandromenon Aeroskafon) – It is equipped with 5 Helicopters in Attica and Thessaloniki.
  • Subdivision of Unmanned Aircraft (Υποδιεύθυνση μη Επανδρωμένων Αεροσκαφών – Ypodieufthinsi mi Epandromenon Aeroskafon) – Despite the scarcity of helicopters and their exclusive presence in Attica and Thessaloniki, some Police Directorates in the country's largest cities have equipped drones to assist operations, especially search and rescue as well as border patrol. This Subdivision has a total of 9 Drones as well as 2 Israeli ThunderB-Spylite aircraft.
  • Subdivision of Police Air Force of Northern Greece

Overseen by the Second Deputy Chief (Deputy of Staff):

• Staff Coordination General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Επιτελικού Συντονισμού – Geniki Dieufthinsi Epitelikou Syntonismou)
  • Organization and Legal Support Division (Διεύθυνση Οργάνωσης και Νομικής Υποστήριξης – Dieufthinsi Organosis kai Nomikis Ypostirixis)
    • Organization Department
    • Legal Affairs Department
    • Collection and Processing of Legal Documents Department
  • Strategic Planning Division (Διεύθυνση Στρατηγικού Σχεδιασμού – Dieufthinsi Stratigikou Schediasmou)
    • Strategic and Long-Term Planning Department
    • Research and Innovation Department
    • Department of Funds
  • Communication Division (Διεύθυνση Επικοινωνίας – Dieufthinsi Epikoinonias)
    • Media Affairs Department
    • Customs, Public Relations and Retired Police Personnel Support Department
    • Publications Department
    • Hellenic Police Marching Band
    • Hellenic Police History Department
    • Physical Education and Sports Department
    • Coordination Department
    • Civilian Communication and Administrative Support Department
• Security and Policing General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Ασφάλειας και Αστυνόμευσης – Geniki Dieyfthinsi Asfaleias kai Astynomeufsis) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Panagiotis Kollintzas)
  • Policing Division (Διεύθυνση Αστυνομεύσης – Dieufthinsi Astynomeusis)
    • General Policing Department
    • Operational Planning and Civil Protection Department
    • Traffic Measures and Operations Department
    • Road Traffic Data Analysis and Civilian Awareness Department
  • Community Policing Division (Διεύθυνση Κοινωνικής Αστυνόμευσης – Dieufthinsi Koinonikis Astynomeufsis)
    • Human Rights and Vulnerable Individuals Protection Department
    • Domestic Violence Department
    • Juvenile Protection Department
    • Hate Crimes Department
    • Gender-based Violence Department
    • Animals Protection Department
  • Public Security Division (Διεύθυνση Δημόσιας Ασφάλειας – Dieufthinsi Dimosias Asfaleias)
    • Data Collection and Analysis Department
    • Organized Crime Department
    • Suppression of Crime Department
    • Administrative Affairs Department
  • State Protection Division (Διεύθυνση Προστασίας του Κράτους – Dieufthinsi Prostasias tou Kratous)
    • Intelligence and Security Department
    • Vulnerable Targets Protection Department
    • Extremism and Terrorism Suppression Department
    • Illegal Weapons and Explosive Devices Department
    • IDs and Archive Department
  • International Police Cooperation Division (Διεύθυνση Διεθνούς Αστυνομικής Συνεργασίας – Dieufthinsi Diethnous Astynomikis Synergasias)
    • Mission and Staff Support Department
    • European and International Relations and Diplomacy Department
    • SIRENE Department
    • INTERPOL Department
    • EUROPOL Department
  • Passports and Other Security Documents Division (Διεύθυνση Διαβατηρίων και Άλλων Εγγράφων Ασφαλείας – Dieufthinsi Diavatirion kai Allon Eggrafon Asfaleias)
    • Data Entry and Processing Department
    • Inspection and Approval Department
    • Printing and Quality Assurance Department
    • Digitalization Department
    • Hardware Management Department
• Border Protection, Immigration Control and Foreign Persons General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Προστασίας Συνόρων, Διαχείρισης Μετανάστευσης και Αλλοδαπών – Geniki Dieufthinsi Prostasias Synoron, Diacheirisis Metanasteusis kai Allodapon) – (Director: Brig. Gen. Basileios Papakostas)
  • Border Protection Division (Διεύθυνση Προστασίας Συνόρων – Dieufthinsi Prostasias Synoron)
    • Border Surveillance Department
    • Border Control Department
  • Immigration Control Division (Διεύθυνση Διαχείρισης Μετανάστευσης – Dieufthinsi Diacheirisis Metanasteusis)
    • Immigrants' Legitimacy Inspection Department
    • Detention Facilities Management Department
  • Foreign Persons Division (Διεύθυνση Αλλοδαπών – Dieufthinsi Allodapon)
    • Citizenship, Expatriates and Citizens of the European Union Department
    • Administrative Measures Department
• Human Resources Management General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Διαχείρισης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού – Geniki Dieufthinsi Diacheirisis Anthropinou Dinamikou) – (Director: Brig. Gen. Dimitrios Tsampiras)
  • Uniformed Personnel Division (Διεύθυνση Ένστολου Προσωπικού – Dieufthinsi Enstolou Prosopikou)
    • Commissioned Officers Department
    • Non-Commissioned and other Uniformed Officers Department
  • Civilian Personnel Division (Διεύθυνση Πολιτικού Προσωπικού – Dieufthinsi Politikou Prosopikou)
    • Permanent Civilian Personnel Department
    • Civilian Personnel with Private Employment Relationship Department
    • Civilian Personnel Training-Evaluation Department
    • Disciplinary Conduct Department
  • Education and Human Resources Development Division (Διεύθυνση Εκπαίδευσης και Ανάπτυξης Ανθρωπίνων Πόρων – Dieufthinsi Ekpaideufsis kai Anaptyxis Anthropinon Poron)
    • Education and Training Department
    • Lifelong Learning and International Training Department
  • Health and Safety Division (Διεύθυνση Υγειονομικού – Dieufthinsi Ygeionomikou) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Athanasios Bathekas)
    • Healthcare Department
    • Health and Safety Control Department
    • Administrative Support Department
• Support General Division (Γενική Διεύθυνση Υποστήριξης – Geniki Dieufthinsi Ypostiriksis) – (Director: Maj. Gen. Sotirios Nikolakopoulos)
  • Informatics Systems and Digital Governance Division (Διεύθυνση Πληροφοριακών Συστημάτων και Ψηφιακής Διακυβέρνησης – Dieufthinsi Pliroforiakon Systimaton kai Psifiakis Diakybernisis)
    • Budgeting and Project Monitoring Department
    • Digital Services Design and Development Department
    • Operational Function Department
    • Informational Security and Privacy Department
    • IT Support Department
  • Communications and Networking Division (Διεύθυνση Επικοινωνιών και Δικτύων – Dieufthinsi Epikoinonion kai Diktyon)
    • Central Infrastructure and Operational Systems Department
    • Regional Terminal Equipment and Networks Department
    • Planning and Security Department
  • Infrastructure and Technical Means Division (Διεύθυνση Υποδομών και Τεχνικών Μέσων – Dieufthinsi Ypodomon kai Technikon Meson)
    • Technical Support Subdivision
      • Means of Transportation Department
      • Weaponry Department
      • General and Personal Gear Department
      • Infrastructure Department
    • Maintenance and Applications Subdivision
      • Administrative Support Department
      • Transport Department
      • Drivers Training Department
      • General Maintenance Department
  • Financial Support Division (Διεύθυνση Οικονομικής Υποστηρίξης – Dieufthinsi Oikonomikis Ypostirksis)
    • Budget Monitoring Department
    • Service Vehicle and Gear Ascription Department
    • Uniformed Personnel Salary and Insurance Department
    • Civilian Personnel Salary and Insurance Department
  • Fixed Advances Division (Διεύθυνση Πάγιας Προκαταβολής – Dieufthinsi Pagias Prokatavolis)
    • Accounting Department
    • Civilian Personnel Travel Expenses Department
  • Administrative Support Division (Διεύθυνση Διοικητικής Μέριμνας – Dieufthinsi Dioikitikis Merimnas)
    • Administration Department
    • Budget-Inventory Management Department
    • Police HQ Guarding Department

Men of the Units for the Reinstatement of Order (MAT)

Other Specialized Police Units within Departments

• Groups of Bicycle-mounted Police (motorcycle police) (ΔΙ.ΑΣ. – Ομάδες Δίκυκλης Αστυνόμευσης – Omades Dicyclis Astynomeusis)
• Zeta Group (motorcycle police) (ΖΗΤΑ – Omada Zeta)
• Crime Prevention and Suppression Units (Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. – Ομάδες Πρόληψης και Καταστολής Εγκλήματος – Omades Prolipsis kai Katastolis Egklimatos) – Equivalent of the LAPD's Metro Division's B and C Platoons which are responsible for crime suppression, providing assistance to major crimes investigators and serving warrants among other duties.
• Action Group (motorcycle police) (Ομάδα Δράση – Omada Drasi, former Force of Control Fast Confrontation – Δ.ΕΛ.Τ.Α. – Δύναμη Ελέγχου Ταχείας Αντιμετώπισης – Dynami Elenchou Tachias Antimetopisis)
• Traffic Accidents Control and Prevention Units (Ο.Ε.Π.Τ.Α. – Ομάδες Ελέγχου και Πρόληψης Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων)
• Border Guards (Συνοριοφύλακες – Synoriophylakes)
• Units for the Reinstatement of (Public) Order (Riot Police, or Police Riot Units) (M.A.T. – Μονάδες Αποκατάστασης Τάξης – Monades Apokatastasis Taxis)
• Airport Police (Αστυνομία Κρατικών Αερολιμένων – Astynomia Kratikon Aerolimenon)
• Prisoner Transport – Courtroom Police (Τμήμα Μεταγωγών – Δικαστηρίων – Tmima Metagogon – Dikastirion)
• Tourist Police (Τουριστική Αστυνομία – Touristiki Astynomia). With the law 6450/1935, Government Gazette 14/A/13-1-1935, was founded the Tourist Police Directorate (Διεύθυνση Τουριστικής Αστυνομίας) which initially was Directorate of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) having police officers from Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police. The Tourist Police Directorate of EOT was abolished by the Mandatory Law 297/1968, Government Gazette 38/A/22-2-1968, replacing by two Tourist Police directorates, one of the Hellenic Gendarmerie Headquarters and one of the Cities Police Headquarters respectively. With the law 1481/1984, Government Gazette 152/A/8-10-1984, the Tourist Police was abolished and its services assigned to the local police stations and units making in-house tourist offices in which were abolished thereafter by the Presidential Decree 508/1989, Government Gazette 216/A/3-10-1989. In 1993 Tourist Police re-founded. With the articles 101 and 105 of the Presidential Decree 7/2017, Government Gazette 14/A/9-2-2017, created the Stations and Units of the Tourist Police at the Hellenic Police Directorates at several prefectures.

Structure within a Regional Police Directorate

Each of the 74 Regional Units of Greece has its own Police Directorate (Αστυνομική Διεύθυνση), headquartered in the capital city of said Unit and overseen by the General Regional Police Directorate (Γενική Περιφερειακή Αστυνομική Διεύθυνση) of the Administrative Region which the Regional Unit is part of. These Directorates are led by Brigadier Generals or Police Directors and are in charge of the patrol, traffic control as well as the investigation, suppression and prevention of crime in the area.

Under the command of the Directorate, there are at least 4 Bureaus: a Policing Bureau, a Crime Investigation and Prosecution & Foreign Persons Bureau, an Administrative Support, HR & Education Bureau, and a Technical Support & Informatics Bureau, while Directorates with territorial jurisdiction over the country's borders also have a Border Protection & Immigration Control Bureau. All 5 Bureaus are given orders and guidelines from the General Divisions of the Hellenic Police HQ, overseen by the Second Deputy Chief (Deputy of Staff), and in turn coordinate the various Subdivisions, Departments, Offices, Units, Precincts and Stations which fall under the oversight of the Directorate.

The General Regional Police Directorate additionally has an Operations Bureau which oversees and coordinates all operations across the region, has administrative command over all Police Special Forces operating in the region and answers directly to the Division of Operations and Crises Management, the Special Police Forces Division and the Police Air Force Division of the Hellenic Police HQ, overseen by the First Deputy Chief (Deputy of Operations).

Policing Bureau

The cornerstone of General Policing is preemptive patrolling and responding to emergency dispatch calls. Patrol Officers as well as Dispatch Officers, who operate the call center for "100" (Emergency Phone Number in Greece) are part of the Immediate Response (Άμεση Δράση) Department. The motorcycle-mounted police units ΔΙ.ΑΣ. and ΖΗΤΑ belong in this Department as well. Immediate Response officers may also support other units and help out in operations whenever necessary.

Patrolling Units are usually made up of one Sergeant or Deputy Sergeant behind the wheel and one Constable or Special Guard in the passenger's seat. Additionally, there is usually either a Sergeant (the most senior on patrol during a shift), a Deputy Lieutenant or even a Lieutenant II who acts as the patrol field supervisor, while another Lieutenant acts as the Watch Commander/Shift Supervisor.

On the call center on the other hand, Constables and Deputy Sergeants usually act as phone operators; they respond to civilian calls and compose a call sheet with all the necessary information regarding the caller and the incident. Then, Sergeants, Deputy Lieutenants and sometimes Lieutenants II perform the role of dispatchers who belong in the operational branch of the call center and coordinate the patrolling units in order to respond to the incident most efficiently. There's also an officer with the rank of Sergeant, Deputy Lieutenant or Lieutenant II who is the shift supervisor, and apart from coordinating the call center during a shift, is also responsible with answering text messages sent to 100. Finally, an officer with the rank of Lieutenant or Captain II is usually the Commanding Officer of the Center.

Frequently encountered alongside Immediate Response patrols are the units of the Traffic Police Department(s). With their own fleet of cars and motorcycles, officers of this Department enforce traffic laws, respond to traffic accidents in order to reroute traffic and guard the scene, act as traffic wardens and of course serve tickets for traffic violations. Traffic Police Departments also command the Traffic Accidents Control and Prevention Units (Ομάδες Ελέγχου και Πρόληψης Τροχαίων Ατυχημάτων - Ο.Ε.Π.Τ.Α.), specialized units which usually create road blocks in order to conduct field sobriety tests, monitor speeding and check drivers' licenses, preventing law-breaking drivers from causing any potential accidents.

Additionally, these Departments have their own Investigations Offices which handle all traffic-related criminal cases and investigations, as well Infractions Offices where citizens can appeal their traffic tickets.

Some Directorates also supervise:

• Tourist Police Department(s)

which conduct both foot and vehicle patrols in touristic areas and have their own Call and Dispatch Centre which serves tourist callers in at least 5 foreign languages

• a Prisoner Transport – Courtroom Police Department

which transfers prisoners between holding cells, courthouses and prisons, while also being responsible for guarding courtrooms and maintaining order inside of them, and

• an Airport Police Department

which includes its own Policing Office (for conducting patrols and enforcing traffic laws inside the airport), Investigation & Prosecution Office (for handling criminal investigations inside the airport) as well as a Passport Inspection Office.

All 5 of these types of Departments operate exclusively within the metropolitan borders of the Regional Unit's capital city (apart from the Traffic Police Departments with territorial jurisdiction over the country's Highways). There also operates at least one Precinct in said city which primarily functions as a community outreach for civilians to report police-related matters and have a direct contact with law enforcement officers.

Among a Precinct's duties are a) keeping individuals in custody who were arrested for committing a crime in the area, as well as interrogating them and investigating their cases before handing them over to the DA's office, b) allowing citizens to report local crimes in person as well as investigating and resolving those crimes, c) issuing IDs and weapon-carrying permits as well as registering citizen-owned weapons, d) assigning officers to Parole duty, e) patrolling bustling commercial and shopping districts as well central streets and plazas in their area of jurisdiction, mainly on foot, and responding to smaller-scale calls like civilian disputes, noise complaints and disorderly conduct incidents or aiding Immediate Response Units in larger-scale emergencies, f) conducting inspections in stores and street markets in order to identify possibly counterfeit or unlicensed products, owners without a lease and other sales violations, g) building trust and rapport with citizens and store owners and reinforcing their sense of security as well as performing other general community policing duties, h) handling cases and investigations of domestic violence, animal abuse and Breach of the peace, i) guarding high-risk public buildings (e.g. Embassies, the City Hall etc), crime scenes and other off-limits areas as well as performing order measures enforcement duties at large events (festivals, concerts, parades, sporting events etc), j) analyzing crime stats and the effectiveness of policing tactics in their area of jurisdiction and proposing reforms and crime prevention measures and k) assisting any other police service and serving the citizens regarding all types of police matters. The first three of these duties are delegated to either the Investigations Office in smaller, usually rural, Precincts or the Crime Investigation and Prosecution Departments or Subdivisions which operate in larger Precincts (see Crime Investigation and Prosecution & Foreign Persons Bureau).

Patrolling, Traffic Policing, Tourist Policing, Prisoner Transport and Courtroom Guarding Duties in smaller towns and villages which are located outside the city limits of the Regional Unit's capital, are also carried out by the officers of the local, rural Precincts and Stations (very small Precincts in small, remote villages and islands), similar to how Sheriffs' Departments handle police matters in the unincorporated areas in the US. This used to be under the jurisdiction of the Hellenic Gendarmerie before its fusion with the Cities Police in 1984.

Due to staff shortages in many rural Precincts however, most General Regional Police Directorates in mainland Greece operate Mobile Police Units - MPUs (Κινητές Αστυνομίες Μονάδες - Κ.Α.Μ.), auxiliary patrolling units which patrol a different provincial area of the Region, every day of the week, from 6 PM to 12 AM.

Conversely, some rural Precincts in bigger and more central towns might even have their own ΔΙ.ΑΣ. (motorcycle police) units, their own specialized Traffic Policing Office/Department and Ο.Ε.Π.Τ.Α. (Traffic Accidents Control and Prevention Units), as well as their own Crime Investigation and Prosecution Department and Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. (Units of the Suppression of Crime - See Crime Investigation and Prosection Bureau), in order to police their area of jurisdiction more efficiently.

63 Precincts around the country are also currently housing Domestic Violence Offices which civilians can visit in order to seek help from investigators with specialized training on matters of domestic violence as well as to obtain the "Panic Button" app and be able to communicate with the Police immediately and discreetly during a domestic crisis emergency. Investigators of these offices conduct follow-up evaluations on victims even after prosecution has concluded.

As part of an initiative to boost community policing practices even more, starting with the Region of Crete on March 20, 2025, 4 Squads of "Animal Police" (one in each of Crete's Regional Units, Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno and Lasithi) were formed to address animal welfare offenses. Each squad right now has a Captain as its Commanding Officer as well as 4 more members and if this pilot program works, there are plans to develop Animal Police Squads all across the country. Captain I Emmanouil Boutyrakis, who is also the Commanding Officer of the Sitia Precinct, leads this Pilot Program.

Another pilot program which was initiated recently in Attica is the "Ariadne" Taskforce also known as Transit Police. 130 officers from other services were chosen to be present in all means of Public Transportation like Trams, Buses and Trains, mainly in Western Attica, starting from February 24, 2025. The pilot program is led and overseen by Brig. General Emmanouil Panagiotou and the Taskforce is led by Police Deputy Director Konstantinos Dimou and if it's successful, it will become its own separate Division in the General Police Directorate of Attica and possibly even expand to the rest of the country. As of May 26, 2025, in the 3 months of its existence, the officers of the "Ariadne" Taskforce have made over 700 arrests. These arrests mainly concern individuals who were found in possession of drugs and weapons while on public transportation, as well as perpetrators who caused damage to buses and assaulted drivers. Additionally, there has been a recorded decrease in incidents of narcotics usage and robberies, both in transit and at stations, for the duration of the program thus far.

Crime Investigation and Prosecution & Foreign Persons Bureau

This Bureau oversees the Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivision of a Directorate (previously called Security Subdivision), which is responsible for the detection, investigation and suppression of crime in the capital city of the respective Regional Unit and is located within that city’s central Precinct. In Attica and Thessaloniki however, the corresponding Subdivisions coordinate the numerous Crime Investigation and Prosecution Departments which are housed across the plethora of Precincts of these two large metropolitan areas.

The Subdivision in question consists of a Narcotics Department, a Public Security Department (which conducts most investigations), a Juveniles Office (handling cases involving minors, either as perpetrators or victims), a Foreign Persons Office or Department (which handles all investigations as well as all general police matters concerning Foreign People), an ID Issuing and Records Office and a Weapon Permits Issuing and Registry Office. In some Directorates, these Subdivisions also command Departments/Offices of State & Democracy Protection and Hate Crimes, whereas in the remainder of the country, cases relating to Hate Crimes fall under the purview of the Public Security Departments, while State and Democracy Protection is exercised centrally by the Counter-Terrorism Division which retains nationwide jurisdiction.

In Attica and Thessaloniki, the central Crime Investigation and Prosecution Divisions additionally include Departments of Searches which are part of the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST) and are responsible for locating fugitives and wanted offenders.

Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions in Southern Greece (excluding Crete) report their operational activity to both the HQ of the Division of Organized Crime in Athens and the central Crime Investigation and Prosecution Division of Attica, whereas Subdivisions in Northern Greece report to the Subdivision of Organized Crime of Northern Greece and the central Crime Investigation and Prosecution Division of Thessaloniki. Crete maintains its own Subdivision of Organized Crime, which receives reports from the Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions of the Region and provides operational support in cases of Organized Crime within the area. A liaison officer in each Police Directorate links the Directorate to the relevant Organized Crime Service. All three of said Services retain authority to assume primary responsibility for investigations relating to Organized Crime in their geographic area of jurisdiction following prior communication with the Director of the local Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivision.

In addition to the standard Departments of Narcotics, Financial Crime and Human and Illegal Items Trafficking common to all three Organized Crime Services, the Subdivision of Organized Crime of Crete will soon include a distinct “Department of Special Criminal Activity”, which is scheduled to start operating before March 1st 2026, and will be tasked with the investigation of vendetta-related homicides, large-scale illegal weapons possession and rustling, phenomena that have been of particular prevalence in rural and mountainous parts of the region for many decades. This Department will be staffed by experienced officers from Attica, 20 of whom will form a dedicated "Rapid Response Operational Unit" assigned to immediate deployment in case of such incidents.

The Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions and Departments mostly consist of Investigators, i.e. Deputy Lieutenants and Commissioned Officers (officers with a rank of Lieutenant II or higher) or Deputy Sergeants and Sergeants with Investigative Duties, while Constables, Deputy Sergeants and Sergeants without Investigative Duties who belong in these Services are usually part of the Units of Suppression and Prevention of Crime (Ο.Π.Κ.Ε.), the tactical support groups which aid investigators in executing operations (e.g.: raids, stakeouts, search warrants, arrest warrants etc), as well as the special motorcycle unit "Action" (Δράση), a patrolling unit in Attica and Thessaloniki which responds exclusively to severe crimes and crises with a much faster response time compared to regular patrol officers. There are also Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. Units which are tasked with patrolling certain districts, and/or during certain hours, known for their high crime rates, in order to be instantly available to assist regular patrolling units of the Immediate Response Department during a riskier emergency,, to conduct inspections for drugs and illegal firearms, or to surveil repeat offenders and/or suspects of ongoing investigations and prevent them from engaging in more illicit activities. Patrolling Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. Units utilize specialized pickup trucks and large SUVs and consist of 3-4 officers per vehicle, at least one of which must have the rank of Sergeant or Deputy Lieutenant. They also have much heavier equipment and even store automatic weapons in their vehicles in case of serious emergencies. In Police Directorates without Prisoner Transport - Courtroom Police Departments, Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. covers these duties as well. The functional profile of Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. bears notable similarity to the B and C Platoons of the LAPD Metropolitan Division in terms of duties, equipment and tactical procedures, although there is no evidence indicating that Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. was directly modeled after said U.S. units.

Ever since November 8, 2025, an additional operational unit has been established within several Precincts of Attica, Thessaloniki and sixteen more Regional Units, designated as Prevention and Mediation Units (Ομάδες Πρόληψης και Διαμεσολάβησης – Ο.Π.ΔΙ.). Composed of 473 highly-trained Police Officers, most of which used to serve in Ο.Π.Κ.Ε., as well as 50 newly-hired accredited Romani Mediators, these Units conduct foot and vehicle patrols on a 24-hour basis within Romani settlements across the country and conduct inspections and crime suppression operations. Their stated mission is the prevention of criminal activity, the strengthening of police presence within these areas, and the promotion of mediation and cooperation between Romani communities and the Hellenic Police. The Ο.Π.ΔΙ. Units fall under the Division of Organized Crime's Special Operational Taskforces Department and, outside of Attica and Thessaloniki, they are supervised by the Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivision of each Regional Unit.

Operations Bureau

When an operation or arrest requires highly specialized capabilities – such as confronting heavily armed perpetrators, managing hostage situations, handling suspected explosive devices or weapons of mass destruction, responding to terrorist threats, or countering overwhelming opposition – members of the Special Police Forces may be deployed alongside or instead of Ο.Π.Κ.Ε. These include: a) the Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit (Ε.Κ.Α.Μ. – SSAU), which serves as the national SWAT-equivalent force; b) the Department of Explosive Devices Disposal; c) the Department of K9 Operators; and d) the Police Air Force Division.

These units are also mobilized during emergencies and crises that exceed the capacity and capabilities of regular police personnel – such as large-scale manhunts for dangerous fugitives or searches for missing persons. The first three units operate under the Division of Special Police Forces, while the Police Air Force Division became a standalone division in 2016. Both are central services under the authority of the First Deputy Chief (Deputy Chief of Operations) and operate primarily out of Attica and Thessaloniki, alongside the Special Investigative Divisions.

There is however an additional Special Suppressive Anti-Terrorist Unit in Crete, while Bomb Squad Units and K9 Units, have been established within most Police Directorates across the country and are staffed by officers dispatched from the central Division of Special Police Forces in Attica. These units operate under the supervision of the Operations Bureau of each region’s General Regional Police Directorate. Regarding police dogs, each K9 handler and dog pair trained in explosive detection (95 pairs nationwide) is assigned to the Bomb Squad Units, while those trained in narcotics detection (51 pairs) serve within the Narcotics Departments of the Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions. In Attica, Thessaloniki, and certain border regions, K9 handler–dog pairs are also deployed for patrol, prisoner transport, and guard duties (42 pairs in total).

Some regional Operations Bureaus also oversee an Office of Unmanned Aircraft, composed of drone operators from the Police Air Force Division’s Subdivision of Unmanned Aircraft. These operators are stationed in selected regional units –particularly on islands and near Greece’s borders. Consequently, while manned aircraft (helicopters) operate only in Attica and Thessaloniki, unmanned aircraft are also active in Heraklion, Evros (in Alexandroupolis and Orestiada), Samos, Chios, and the Dodecanese.

Another major tactical formation of the Hellenic Police is the Riot Police Units (ΜΑΤ – Μονάδες Αποκατάστασης Τάξης), operating in Attica and Thessaloniki under each city’s Division of Police Operations (Δ.Α.Ε. – Διεύθυνση Αστυνομικών Επιχειρήσεων). Each Division comprises two Subdivisions: the Subdivision of Public Order Reinstatement (Υποδιεύθυνση Αποκατάστασης Τάξης – Υ.Α.Τ.) and the Subdivision of Order Measures Enforcement (Υποδιεύθυνση Μέτρων Τάξης – Υ.ΜΕ.Τ.).

Officers of the Subdivision of Order Measures Enforcement wear standard police uniforms and equipment and are typically deployed at smaller demonstrations, sporting events, or public gatherings where violence is not anticipated. By contrast, officers of the Subdivision of Public Order Reinstatement wear olive-green uniforms and heavier protective gear, including riot shields, helmets, tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and oxygen masks. For operational security reasons, they do not display name tags or badge numbers on their uniforms. Platoons of this subdivision are usually deployed at large-scale demonstrations, high-risk sporting events, and gatherings organized by anarchist or other extremist groups where riots or violent incidents are likely to occur. Officers of the Υ.Α.Τ. have been the subject of public controversy concerning allegations of excessive or unwarranted police violence.

Riot policing and public order reinstatement duties outside of Attica and Thessaloniki are carried out by Support Platoons (Διμοιρίες Υποστήριξης). Each Regional Police Directorate maintains one such platoon, while Patras, Heraklion, and Larissa have two due to their larger populations and greater operational needs.

Each ΥΑΤ/ΥΜΕΤ/Support Platoon typically consists of 30 Constables or Deputy Sergeants, 2 Sergeants or Deputy Lieutenants serving as Squad Leaders, and 2 Lieutenants serving as the Platoon Commander and Deputy Commander, respectively. The personnel of Support Platoons are drawn from various other police services within the Directorate and the platoons are activated only when the restoration of public order cannot be achieved by the Directorate’s regular police forces. In exceptional circumstances, the Riot Police Units of Attica may be deployed anywhere in southern Greece, while those of Thessaloniki may operate anywhere in northern Greece, if deemed necessary by the Chief of Police.

Similarly, the Special Suppressive Anti-Terrorist Units (SSAU/Ε.Κ.Α.Μ.) of Attica and Thessaloniki may be deployed nationwide for specialized operations, as only those two cities, as well as the Region of Crete, maintain dedicated units with such responsibilities.

Border Protection & Immigration Control Bureau

Finally, Regional Units which are situated near the borders of the country also have Immigration Control and Border Protection Departments, composed mostly of Border Guards, special police personnel with a 3-month basic training and a fixed-term contract. Immigration Control Departments command their own Investigation Offices as well as Illegal Immigrants Detention Centers, while Border Protection Departments comprise Border Patrol Units as well Passport Inspection Offices. There are also Immigration Control and Foreign Persons Departments in Attica and Thessaloniki, due to the large amounts of illegal immigrants as well as the amount of crime attributed to them in those large cities, while the rest of the Police Directorates just have a Foreign Persons Office or Department in their Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions.

Other

Hierarchical Structure of the Services and Units under the jurisdiction of a General Regional Police Directorate of the Hellenic Police

Each Directorate additionally has a Passport Issuing Office, as well as an Office of Forensic Investigations, equipped with a Crime Scene Investigation Unit ("Σήμανση") as well as the necessary laboratories and specialized personnel in order to collect and analyze crime scene evidence such as biological and biochemical samples, digital data, ballistics evidence, etc. General Regional Police Directorates on the other hand, have a Department of Intelligence Gathering and Management, and an Office of Communication and PR, both of which report directly to their respective Divisions at HQ.

The Counter-Terrorism Division and the Cyber Crime Division are the only Special Investigative Divisions to exclusively operate in Attica and Thessaloniki, but they both have national jurisdiction. Additionally, even though the Government Officials and other Susceptible Targets Protection General Division operates in Attica from an administrative standpoint, the personnel of this division have a duty to follow the person of interest they are protecting wherever they may travel to around the country as well as abroad.

Ranks, Duties and Salaries

Ranks of the Hellenic Police Force

Source:

Ranks and insignia of the Hellenic Police Force

Title	Police Lieutenant General	Police Major General	Police Brigadier General	Police Director	Police Deputy Director	Police Captain I (or Police Major)	Police Captain II	Police Lieutenant I	Police Lieutenant II	Police Deputy Lieutenant (or Police Warrant Officer)	Police Sergeant (Investigative Duty – with promotion exam)	Police Sergeant (Investigative Duty)	Police Sergeant (non-Investigative Duty)	Police Deputy Sergeant (Investigative Duty)	Police Deputy Sergeant (non-Investigative Duty)	Constable
Greek title	Αντιστράτηγος	Υποστράτηγος	Ταξίαρχος	Αστυνομικός Διευθυντής	Αστυνομικός Υποδιευθυντής	Αστυνόμος Α΄	Αστυνόμος Β΄	Υπαστυνόμος Α΄	Υπαστυνόμος B΄	Ανθυπαστυνόμος	Αρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος – Με εξετάσεις)	Αρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος)	Αρχιφύλακας (Μη ανακριτικός υπάλληλος)	Υπαρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος)	Υπαρχιφύλακας (Μη ανακριτικός υπάλληλος)	Αστυφύλακας
Insignia

Hellenic Police ranks and insignia, 1985-1986

Title	Police Lieutenant General	Police Major General	Police Director	Police Deputy Director	Police Captain I (or Police Major)	Police Captain II	Police Lieutenant	Police Deputy Lieutenant (or Police Warrant Officer)	Police Sergeant	Constable
Greek title	Αντιστράτηγος	Υποστράτηγος	Αστυνομικός Διευθυντής	Αστυνομικός Υποδιευθυντής	Αστυνόμος Α΄	Αστυνόμος Β΄	Υπαστυνόμος	Ανθυπαστυνόμος	Αρχιφύλακας	Αστυφύλακας
Insignia

Duties

Police constables are usually assigned on patrol, dispatch, traffic control, guard or desk duty when they first graduate the Police Academy's School of Police Constables and can become part of riot police or other special police units (Special Suppressive Anti-Terrorist Units, Units for the Prevention and Suppression of Crime, K-9 units etc.) after at least 5 years of service.

Constables can become Deputy Sergeants after a few years of service if their commanding officer deems they deserve it and usually have the same duties but with more responsibilities.

Both Constables and Deputy Sergeants can become Sergeants if they have completed at least three years of service, or at least two if they have a Bachelor's Degree, either through evaluations from their Commanding Officers, as part of their normal progression of the ranks (three chevrons), or through examinations (four chevrons). Three-chevron Sergeants can also be promoted to four-chevron Sergeants through the same examination which is held once a year.

Sergeants are usually squad leaders, duty officers, field supervisors on patrol and assistant watch commanders, or have other supervisory roles in certain offices, or within precincts, departments and regional directorates (e.g. inventory managers). In other words, they are the equivalent of middle managers with a certain number of Constables under their command. They can also be field trainers at the academy.

Deputy Sergeants and Sergeants "with Investigative Duties" on the other hand are usually assigned on ongoing investigations, but not as lead detectives.

Since the Hellenic Police was created with the help of the British Police, and is therefore based primarily on their operational structure, there is no "Detective" rank. Thus, Deputy Lieutenants, Lieutenants (I-II) and even Captains II are usually the primary investigators on a case (similarly to Inspectors and Chief Inspectors in the British Police). Officers of these ranks can also take on duties of watch commanders, platoon leaders and/or act as senior supervisors of task forces, units and operations. That said, it is not uncommon to see Deputy Lieutenants and Lieutenants II out on patrol as they can also be assigned as field supervisors or even duty officers, just like Sergeants, although less often.

A Sergeant can become a Deputy Lieutenant after at least five years of service as a Sergeant, or at least three if they have a Bachelor's Degree and that degree was not taken under consideration during their promotion from Constable/Deputy Sergeant to Sergeant.

Deputy Lieutenants can then be promoted to Lieutenants II after successfully completing the Police Academy's School of Post-Graduate Learning and Lifelong Education which lasts 1 year and they can reach up to the rank of Captain I if they ever were four-chevron Sergeants, or Lieutenant I if not.

On the other hand, graduates of the Police Academy's School of Police Commissioned Officers immediately start out at the rank of Lieutenant II and can reach up to the rank of Lieutenant General, the highest rank in the Hellenic Police.

Non-commissioned officers can also apply for an entry exam to the School of Police Commissioned Officers and immediately become Police Lieutenants II as well, if they successfully graduate.

Scientists (biologists, chemists, physicists, computer scientists, engineers, psychologists, anthropologists etc.) as well as doctors can also join the Hellenic Police Force starting on the rank of Lieutenant II (for Scientists) or Lieutenant I (for Doctors) without going through the entire Undergraduate Program of the Police Academy. They only get a three-month basic training on the use of weapons as well as the basics of the law and police procedures. These officers usually join the Forensic Investigation Division or the Health and Safety Division (more so the case for Doctors and Therapists) and can reach up to the rank of Major General and become Directors of the two aforementioned Divisions.

Captains I (rank equivalent of Major) and Captains II are usually the Commanding Officers and Deputy Commanding Officers respectively, of Precincts, Departments, Offices, Bureaus or certain Units, although Captains II and even Lieutenants I and Lieutenants II can also take on the role of Commanding Officer in smaller Departments, Offices and Precincts (with Lieutenants I, Lieutenants II and Deputy Lieutenants as their Deputy Commanding Officers respectively). Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants or even Sergeants on the other hand, can be assigned as commanding officers of Police Stations (Αστυνομικοί Σταθμοί), which are essentially very small Precincts in small, remote villages and islands.

Captains I, Police Deputy Directors (rank equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel in the armed forces and Superintendent in the British Police) and Police Directors (rank equivalent of Colonel in the armed forces and Chief Superintendent in the British Police) can take on the role of Subdivision Directors, Police Directors and Brigadier Generals can command Police Directorates of Regional Units, while General Regional Police Directorates and the Divisions of the Hellenic Police HQ are usually led by Brigadier Generals or Major Generals.

Finally, there are only five Lieutenant Generals in the Hellenic Police Force: the Chief of the Hellenic Police, the 2 Deputy Chiefs of the Hellenic Police, and the General Police Coordinators of Northern Greece and Southern Greece.

The Hellenic Police does not have ranks of four- or five-star generals.

Salaries

While salaries for Police Officers used to be calculated mainly based on their rank, ever since October 1st 2025, their active years on the force became the main factor for their starting salary, with extra benefits for officers holding a position of high responsibility and/or high risk & of special work conditions. Rank still plays a role however, since the Base Salaries are multiplied by a factor ranging from 1,00 to 1,80 depending on the Officer's rank.

Below are the Gross Base Salaries for Police Officers, as they increase by the Active Years on the Force, and broken into 4 Categories based on how the Officer entered the Force:

Active Years on the Force	Category A	Category B	Category C	Category D
1-3	€1320	€1145	€1100	€1100
3-5	€1410	€1185	€1160	€1160
5-7	€1500	€1238	€1201	€1195
7-9	€1560	€1984	€1243	€1231
9-11	€1622	€1352	€1287	€1268
11-13	€1687	€1413	€1332	€1306
13-15	€1754	€1477	€1380	€1345
15-17	€1824	€1543	€1449	€1385
17-19	€1897	€1612	€1521	€1427
19-21	€1992	€1697	€1600	€1469
21-23	€2092	€1765	€1656	€1514
23-25	€2207	€1836	€1714	€1559
25-27	€2328	€1909	€1774	€1606
27-29	€2456	€1985	€1836	€1654
29-31	€2600	€2064	€1900	€1703
31-33	€2740	€2147	€1967	€1755
33-35	€2822	€2211	€2036	€1807
35-37	€2878	€2255	€2107	€1861
37-39	€2936	€2300	€2149	€1917
39+	€3000	€2346	€2192	€1975

• Category A: Joined through the School of Police Commissioned Officers (Lieutenant II - Chief of Police)
• Category B: Joined through the School of Police Constables (Constable - Captain I)
• Category C: Initially joined as Special Guards or Border Guards, but have now been promoted to Sworn Officers (Constable - Deputy Lieutenant)
• Category D: Special Guards and Border Guards

Below are the Maximum Extra Benefits that Officers in Positions of High Responsibility and/or High Risk & Of Special Work Conditions can receive. A Position of High Responsibility is defined as being in Command of a Police Service (Unit, Office, Department, Precinct, Subdivision, Division, Directorate) or holding the Rank of Lt. General and is reserved for Officers with rank of Captain I or above. A Position of High Risk & Of Special Work Conditions has a looser definition, allowing Officers of all Ranks to get it as long as they don't hold an exclusively Administrative Position, excluding of course Police Generals and Commanding Officers, whose jobs are, by definition, administrative. In other words, a Captain I who is the Commanding Officer of a Precinct will get both benefits, while an officer of the same, or even higher rank, who has an administrative position in the Chief's Office for example, will get neither.

Rank	Benefit of High Risk & Of Special Work Conditions + Benefit of High Responsibility
Special Guard/Border Guard	€205
Police Constable	€155
Police Deputy Sergeant	€180
Police Sergeant	€190
Police Deputy Lieutenant	€200
Police Lieutenant II	€220
Police Lieutenant I	€230
Police Captain II	€260
Police Captain I	€325 + €100
Police Deputy Director	€415 + €150
Police Director	€425 + €200
Police Brigadier General	€435 + €300
Police Major General	€440 + €350
Police Lieutenant General	€460 + €400
Deputy Chiefs of the Hellenic Police	€470 + €500
Chief of the Hellenic Police	€490 + €600

On top of that, every officer receives an extra €70 per month for each of their underage children as well as €3.33 extra per hour during night shifts and €46 for every day they are called to work past their 5-day week.

So for example, a Patrol Sergeant who graduated from the School of Police Constables, has 10 years on the job, has 2 kids and works 2 Night Shifts per week, will receive a Gross Salary of approximately €2000 (equating to a Net Salary of ~€1500 after income tax and social security payment are deduced), while a Police Captain I who Graduated from the School of Police Commissioned Officers, has 15 years on the job, has 1 kid, and is the Commanding Officer of a Precinct will get a Gross Salary of approximately €2370. (equating to a Net Salary of ~€1860)

Police Academy

Hellenic Police Academy
Αστυνομική Ακαδημία
Active	1994 (1994)–present
Country	Greece
Agency	Hellenic Police
Type	Police academy
Headquarters	Thrakomakedonon 101, Acharnes, Athens 38.12071524903326°N 23.744995501007537°E / 38.12071524903326; 23.744995501007537
Structure
Schools	School for Police Commissioned Officers School for Police Constables National Security School School for Postgraduate Education and Lifelong Learning
Website
www.astynomia.gr

The Hellenic Police Academy in its current form was established in 1994 with the voting of law 2226/1994 through Parliament. It is situated in Athens and is directly under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Citizen Protection. However the Chief of Police, as well as the Director of the Academy, can make recommendations and act as advisors to the Minister regarding improvements and other issues (for example structural reform) pertaining to the academy. The Minister and the Chief make annual speeches at the academy to prospective Police Officers. The school is made up of university professors, special scientists (for areas such as forensics) and high-ranking police officers who have specialist field experience. Entrance to the academy is based on Panhellenic Examinations (which are university level entrance examinations), passing specific athletic requirements and an interview, though it differs depending on which particular school of the academy the student wishes to join. The budget for FY 2025 was 2.250.000€.

The Police Academy includes:

• The School for Police Commissioned Officers, for high school graduates who wish to become commissioned Police officers (Police Lieutenants II), which lasts four years. Graduates of this school can reach up to the rank of Lieutenant General, the highest rank in the Hellenic Police.
• The School for Police Constables, for high school graduates who wish to become Police Constables (with investigative duties) and lasts 3 years. Graduates of this school can normally only reach the rank of Police Lieutenant I if they have successfully completed the School for Post-Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning as Deputy Lieutenants. If they have also been promoted to Sergeants through exams, they can reach up to the rank of Captain I. There are 6 schools of Police Constables located in 6 distinct Greek cities as well as 1 Training Center for Special Guards and Border Guards (special Police personnel with a 3-month basic training) in Attica.
  • Grevena School of Police Constables
  • Didymoteicho School of Police Constables
  • Komotini School of Police Constables
  • Naousa School of Police Constables
  • Rethymno School of Police Constables
  • Mouzaki School of Police Constables
  • Attica Training Center for Special Guards and Border Guards
• The School for Postgraduate Education and Lifelong Learning.
• The National Security School, for high-ranking police personnel (also open to other categories of public servants such as Firemen).

Training

Hellenic Police has a basic requirement of knowledge which is applied to all positions within the agency. These are the protection of the Constitution as well as the tackling of criminal activities and assisting in disaster situations. The emphasis during training on the support and protection of children is such, that a number of highly successful individuals that were raised as orphans, have stated that they could not say with certainty that they would make it all the way to the top, without the social service that the Hellenic Police provided to them during their childhood.

Cadets spent their Winter Semesters in classes and field training at the academy, but during Spring Semesters, they are assigned to different Precincts where they can apply their knowledge out in the field, so they can be ready for duty once they become sworn Police Officers.

The personnel who are hired as Police Special Guards and Border Guards (and can later be promoted to police officers after eight years of service and reach up to the rank of Deputy Lieutenant) receive three months of training. Special guards mainly have patrolling duties and they can also be part of the President and Government Officials Protection General Division, the Prisoner Transport-Courtroom Police Departments, Riot Police and Police Special Forces.

Chiefs of the Hellenic Police

Right after the formation of the unified Hellenic Police in October 1984, the previous chiefs of the Hellenic Gendarmerie, Emmanouil Brillakis, and the Cities Police, Panagiotis Raftopoulos, acted as co-Chiefs of the new force for its embryonic first 4 months. The first Chief of the Hellenic Police was chosen in February 1985 and ever since the formation of the Governmental Council of External Affairs and National Defense (ΚΥ.Σ.Ε.Α.) in 1986, new Chiefs of Police have been elected by that Council. All Chiefs have had the rank of Lieutenant General.

Assumption of Duties	Last Day in Office	Chief of the Hellenic Police
February 2, 1985	April 28, 1986	George Romosios
April 28, 1986	December 23, 1986	John Stavrakas
December 23, 1986	April 13, 1988	Nikon Arkoudeas
April 13, 1988	July 5, 1989	Andreas Kalogeras
July 5, 1989	March 4, 1991	John Antonopoulos
March 4, 1991	March 3, 1992	John Symvoulidis
March 3, 1992	March 6, 1993	Stephanos Makris
March 6, 1993	November 3, 1993	Anthonios Lambadiaris
November 3, 1993	March 6, 1996	Emmanouil Chourdakis
March 6, 1996	September 25, 1998	Athanasios Basilopoulos
September 25, 1998	August 2, 2001	John Georgakopoulos
August 2, 2001	October 5, 2004	Photios Nasiakos
October 5, 2004	February 28, 2006	George Aggelakos
February 28, 2006	February 27, 2008	Anastasios Dimoschakis
February 27, 2008	October 22, 2009	Basileios Tsiatouras
October 22, 2009	October 17, 2011	Eleutherios Oikonomou
October 17, 2011	April 9, 2014	Nikolaos Papagiannopoulos
April 9, 2014	February 16, 2016	Dimitrios Tsaknakis
February 16, 2016	August 5, 2018	Konstantinos Tsouvalas
August 5, 2018	July 10, 2019	Aristeidis Andrikopoulos
July 10, 2019	March 31, 2022	Michael Karamanlakis
March 31, 2022	March 18, 2023	Konstantinos Skoumas
March 18, 2023	January 16, 2024	Lazaros Mavropoulos
January 16, 2024	Present	Dimitrios Mallios

Internal Affairs Service and Complaint Procedure

The Internal Affairs Division (Δ.Ε.Υ. – Διεύθυνση Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων – Dieufthinsi Esoterikon Hypotheseon) used to be a Special Investigation Service under the Chief of Police with nationwide jurisdiction. However, in 2020, with law 4662/2020, it transitioned into an isolated and independent Service, which exists and acts outside of Police hierarchy and is completely and exclusively overseen by the Minister of Citizen Protection to avoid corruption. It still employees Police personnel rather than third-party investigators however and is currently headed by Police Brig. General Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos.

It has also been renamed to Internal Affairs Service of Security Forces (Υ.Ε.Υ.Σ.Α. – Υπηρεσία Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων Σωμάτων Ασφαλείας – Ypiresia Esoterikon Ypotheseon Somaton Asfalias) and has jurisdiction over all 3 Security Forces of the Hellenic Republic (Hellenic Police, Hellenic Fire Service and Hellenic Coast Guard).

Citizens can file a report to the Service, anonymously or not, in order to report complaints, anti-social behavior, offences, abuse of power on-duty or off-duty, violence, mistreatment, sexual abuse and various other illegal acts committed by Police, Fire Service and Coast Guard personnel.

Emergency police phone numbers

Source:

• 100: Main Police Contact Number and most well-known Greek Emergency Number. Connects civilians directly to the Immediate Response ("Άμεση Δράση") dispatch center of their Regional Unit, so they can ask for immediate police intervention.
• 109: Connects civilians directly to the Narcotics Departments of their Regional Unit, so they can anonymously report drug-related crimes.
• 1156: For Reporting Missing Persons
• 11188: Cyber Crime Division Contact Number
• 1571: Tourist Police Dispatch Center – Supports Communication in the Greek, English, French and German languages
• 10414 and 1014: Direct and Anonymous communication with the Counter-Terrorism Division to provide tips about terrorism matters
• 10410: Phone Number of the Animal Protection Department at the Hellenic Police HQ's Community Policing Division
• 10201: Juvenile Protection Services – Used to report all kinds of crimes or suspicions regarding crimes that are being committed against minors
• 10301: Internal Affairs Service of Security Forces – Used to report all law-breaking uniformed officers (police officers, firefighters and coast guard officers)
• 11414: Hate Crimes Services – Used to report crimes motivated by the offender's bias against race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability

Transportation

Skoda Octavia Greek police cars

Water cannon

Police vehicle

Sfakianakis police bus

Honda Transalp 650 is the main motorcycle of the Greek police

The most common police vehicles in Greece are the white with blue stripes Citroën Xsara, Škoda Octavia, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Hyundai i30, Citroën C4, Citroën C4 Picasso, Suzuki SX4, Jeep Liberty, Peugeot 308, Volkswagen Golf, and Nissan Qashqai. Other vehicles that Greek Police has used throughout the years are the following:

• 1984,1985 Mitsubishi Galant
• 1985 Mitsubishi Lancer
• 1985 Daihatsu Charmant
• 1986, 1990, 1992, 1993 Nissan Sunny
• 1991 Renault 19
• 1991, 1993, 1994 Opel Vectra
• 1991 Volvo 460
• 1995 Citroën ZX
• 1995, 1997 Toyota RAV4
• 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 Opel Astra
• 1996 Suzuki Baleno
• 1997, 1998 Nissan Primera
• 1998,2000 Toyota Corolla
• 1998 Citroën Saxo
• 1998, 1999 Citroën Xantia
• 1998, 1999 Nissan Almera
• 1999, 2000 Nissan Terrano II
• 2000 Kia Sportage

The original livery featured white roofs and doors, with the rest of the bodyshell in dark blue. The current livery was first introduced on the Citroën ZX's, although the blue stripe on the earlier models was not reflective; this gave birth to the nickname "stroumfakia" (smurfs) for the Hellenic Police.

Most Greek police vehicles are equipped with a customized Car PC, which offers GPS guidance and is connected directly with the Hellenic "Police On Line" network.

A number of police vehicles are being modified to be equipped with onboard surveillance cameras. A number of portable body-worn cameras are also sometimes used by the Immediate Response patrol officers (car patrol, ΔΙ.ΑΣ., foot patrol), Crime Prevention and Suppression Groups (Ο.Π.Κ.Ε.) officers, motorcycle police unit ΔΡΑΣΗ ("Action") officers, as well as riot police (MAT) officers.

The police uses confiscated vehicles, primarily for intercepting street races and addressing other traffic violations. The vehicles in question, which have been used for criminal activities and subsequently confiscated, can be granted either free of charge or in exchange for financial compensation to the police.

Police equipment

Current equipment

• Glock 45 MOS AMS Gen 5
• Heckler & Koch MP5
• Uzi
• FN P90
• FN FAL
• AK-47
• AK-74M
• M4 carbine
• Kefeus

Previously issued equipment

• Heckler & Koch USP
• Beretta M9
• Smith & Wesson Model 910
• Ruger GP100

History

19th century

Gendarmes in Chalcis, 1835

Though there was what constituted a police force under the provisional Government of Greece during the Greek War of Independence, the first organized police force in Greece was the Greek Gendarmerie which was established in 1833 after the enthronement of King Otto. It was at that time, formally, part of the army and under the authority of the Defence Ministry (later the entirety of the organization including the Police Academy was brought under its authority). A city police force was also established but its role remained a secondary one in comparison to the Army's role (mainly dealing with illegal gambling, a severe problem at the time). Several foreign advisers (particularly from Bavaria, which emphasized elements of centralization and authoritarianism), were also brought in to provide training and tactical advice to the newly formed Police force. The main task of the police force under the army as a whole during this period was firstly to combat theft but also to contribute to the establishment of a strong executive government.

The army's links to the police and the nature of the structure of the police force and its hierarchy (that of being similar to the army) was maintained throughout the 19th century for a number of reasons. Largely the socio-political unrest that characterized the period including disproportionate poverty, governmental oppression, sporadic rebellions and political instability. As a result of this, as well as the input of the armed forces, the police force remained a largely conservative body throughout the period, while there was also a certain amount of politicization during training as the police force were trained in military camps.

20th century

Road traffic policeman of the Cities Police in 1960

In 1906 the Greek police force underwent its first major restructuring at an administrative level. It acquired its own educational and training facilities independent of those of the army (though still remaining titularly part of the armed forces), but due to its involvement in the Macedonian Struggle, and the Balkan and First World Wars, it tended to neglect civilian matters and was partially unresponsive to the needs of Greek society at the time. However, together with the establishment of a civilian city police force for Athens in 1920 (which would eventually be expanded to the entire country), it set a precedent for further change that came in 1935 because of rapid technological, demographic and economic changes which helped it become more responsive to civilian policing needs of the time.

However, modernization of the police force was stunted by the successive periods of political instability. The dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, compounded with both the Second World War and the Greek Civil War led to a retardation of reform throughout the late 1930s and early to mid-1940s. After the war, however, British experts were brought in to help reform the police along the lines of the British Police and, as a result, the police force ceased to be a part of the Defence Ministry after 1946. Even then, however, it did not abandon its military features and was still prevalently a military-based institution. The Civil war of the period also contributed to excess violence on both sides (government forces and the guerillas of the communist-led Democratic Army of Greece). Torture and abuse of human rights were widespread especially during the early periods of the war when parts of the country were in a state of near lawlessness. Despite this, after the war, the police force did reach a respectable level of civilian policing throughout the mid-1960s which was once again stunted by the rise to power of the Military dictatorship of the Colonels from 1967 to 1974 where it was largely employed as a method of quelling popular discontent along with the Greek Military Police (ΕΣΑ) force of the dictatorship.

After the fall of the Colonels, Greece became a Republic and the infamous ΕΣΑ was cleansed of torturers and renamed "Military Police". The organization of regular police forces remained unchanged, up until PASOK's rise to power, which had sought to "democratize" the security forces. Despite strong opposition from both the Gendarmerie and the Cities Police, in 1984 both were merged into a single unified Hellenic Police Force which maintained elements of a military structure and hierarchy. The new mega-scheme also initially incorporated the Rural Police (Greek: Ελληνική Αγροφυλακή) as community wardens, which was later (1986) turned over to the prefectures, but not the Hellenic Fire Service due to widespread unrest in the Service. The Hellenic Police also undertook the duties of the National Security Service and incorporated joint Gendarmerie-Cities Police services like the Directorate of Forensics.

Because of the long tradition of militaristic elements within the structure of the police even the Council of State of Greece ruled that the police should be regarded as a military body and that members are not civilians but members of the military engaged in a wider role together with the Armed Forces to supplement the Army in defense of the homeland. This however, has in recent years been relegated to policing duties such as border patrols and combating illegal immigration and is not reflective of any de facto military duties outside of that of a defensive role in the event of an invasion. Today the Hellenic Police assists in training various emerging Eastern European and African police forces and Greece has one of the lowest crime rates within the European Union.

Social service

Police station in Nafplio

Since 2012, the Hellenic Police has operated the CyberKid website and the synonymous mobile application, which aims to provide useful information to children and their parents about using the internet. In 2013, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Hellenic Police, under the auspices of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, organised a number of conferences to inform kids and parents about the dangers that a child can have while using the internet.

A significant part of the training for all officers is protection and safeguarding of children, and any form of child abuse is faced with a "Zero Tolerance" policy.

Additionally, the Hellenic Police has shown active support to the Children's Smile (Greek: Το Χαμόγελο του Παιδιού) a non-profit organization, via a financial donation and the assurance that the agency was, is, and will remain "for life" an active supporter of the organization.

A free of charge digital application called Panic Button, which operates 24 hours a day, was introduced in Attica and Thessaloniki on March 27, 2023, and has since become available throughout the country. Installed on smartphones, its aim is to allow police to immediately intervene in incidents of domestic violence against women. By pressing a button, it automatically sends a short text message to the police or other special services, and it locates where the user is through the phone's Global Positioning System (GPS). The application can be provided by the Domestic Violence Offices which currently operate in 63 Police Precincts around the country, as well as counseling centers of the network under the General Secretariat of Demographic and Family Policy and Equality of the Sexes at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Attica and Thessaloniki.

On November 11, 2024, a similar application was launched on the Google Play Store and the App Store called Safe Youth which includes an emergency panic button for kids who are in danger, an anonymous form to report crimes against underage individuals as well as informational articles about social problems and crimes the youth should be aware and cautious about (drugs, sexual abuse and rape, bullying etc.).

Women in the Hellenic Police

Female Police Officers comprise ~15% of the Force's total sworn personnel and are given equal treatment in terms of salaries, education and training, duties as well as the gear they bear compared to male officers.

The first time women joined Greece's law enforcement agencies was in 1969 when 45 female Constables were hired for the Cities Police, mainly for administrative and dispatch duties. 2 years later, in 1971, the first 25 women were hired by the Hellenic Gendarmerie. Then in 1983, 1 year before the current Hellenic Police force was founded, women were first allowed to join the School of Commissioned Police Officers of the Cities Police Academy and graduate with the rank of Police Lieutenant II.

However, the maximum number of women who could be accepted at the school was 10% of the total open positions. This changed in 2003, allowing men and women to have equal chances to be accepted in the Hellenic Police Academy.

It was 1 year before that, in 2002, when Greece became the first country in Europe to have a female officer reach the rank Police Major General. Today*, out of 109 Brigadier Generals, 19 are women.

As of April 28, 2025, 9,422 sworn female officers serve in the Hellenic Police (a 12% increase compared to 2023) with more than 100 of them serving as Commanding Officers of Departments, Precincts, Offices and Units, 145 of them serving in the Government Officials Protection General Division, 73 of them serving in the Counter-Terrorism Division, 4 of them serving in Bomb Squad Units and 4 of them serving in the Hellenic Police Air Force Division.

Most of them however serve in some kind of Investigative Service (Special Investigative Divisions, Crime Investigation and Prosecution Subdivisions/Departments and Investigations Offices) (1807*), Traffic Police (748*), in various positions at the Hellenic Police HQ (459*) and the Forensic Investigations Division as Scientists (262*).[*Stats are all as of April 28, 2025]

Current issues

There are several current issues affecting the police in Greece today. Of particular importance is the rise in drug related crimes, sometimes attributed to increased immigration from Albania and other former Eastern Bloc countries. This has particularly affected Athens (and specifically, Omonoia Square), which has become a central point for drug-related activities within Greece.

Illegal immigration is also a problem as Greece remains both a destination and transit point for illegal immigrants, particularly from Albania (and, increasingly, African and Asian countries). There has been an effort in recent years to step up the security procedures along Greece's borders, although some allege the government's approach has been heavy-handed. The issue of the recruitment of immigrants has also been brought up by opposition PASOK MPs in Parliament several times.

Controversies

Drugs case of Minister of Citizen Protection

During a check on four persons in the area of Amarousiou on 22 November 2021 by motorcycle police unit DIAS officers, in particular the procedure of identity document (ID) checks and body search after having first ordered from them to place out the items who carry with them, they found drugs. Among the persons was reportedly Dimitris Theodorikakos son of Citizen Protection Minister Panagiotis (Takis) Theodorikakos. The revelation made by a retired police brigadier and the newspaper journalist and police editor of Ta Nea and To Vima Vasilis Labropoulos on Mega TV's Mega Gegonota news on 2 February 2023 where it presents photographs from the drugs and recording of data of four, referring to the Panagiotis Theodorikakos who reportedly had done intervention in order to cover up and manipulate the case file, to destroy incriminating evidences and material, and to avoid arrest and transfer before a prosecutor. Vasilis Labropoulos commented that "Mega TV and other media had not have intention to refer who is the person checked, hence they referred only [they did not name who are] from the surrounding of mister Theodorikakos. The revelation of person who is his son he is himself revealed the minister [Panagiotis Theodorikakos]".

Panagiotis (Takis) Theodorikakos announced he will file a criminal complaint against the retired police brigadier and Vasilis Labropoulos. Also Dimitris Theodorikakos and former Chief of Hellenic Police Michail Karamalakis announced they will file a criminal complaint against the retired police brigadier.

Police Brutality

According to some organizations Greek police have been accused of overt and, generally unpunished, brutality, in specific cases like after the 2008 Greek riots and during the 2010–2012 Greek protests sparked by the Greek government-debt crisis. Amnesty international has issued a detailed report on police violence in Greece, concerning its practices in patrolling demonstrations, treatment of illegal immigrants, and other, while the Human Rights Watch has criticized the organization concerning its stance against immigrants and allegations of torture of detainees and the Reporters Without Borders have accused the police of deliberately targeting journalists.

Furthermore, it has been accused of allegedly planting evidence on detainees and mistreatment of arrested individuals. A 29-year-old Cypriot man, Avgoustinos Dimitriou, has been awarded €300,000 in damages following his videotaped beating by plainclothed police officers during a 2006 demonstration in Thessaloniki.

In November 2019, Amnesty International made a report regarding the police violence and the use of torture methods. In 2020, 26-year-old Vasilis Maggos from Volos, was found dead one month after his arrest (during an environmental demonstration) and his beating by police officers that caused him serious organ damage. In April 2024 criminal prosecution was brought against six officers of the Magnesia Police Department, among others, on the charge of complicity and serial torture.

In 2021, the Border Violence Monitoring Network published a report into the use of torture and inhuman treatment during pushbacks by Greek police. They assert that:

• 89% of pushbacks carried out by Greek authorities contained one or more forms of violence and abuse that we assert amounts to torture or inhuman treatment
• 52% of pushback groups subjected to torture or inhuman treatment by Greek authorities contained minors

AEK fan 29-year-old Greek Michalis Katsouris was stabbed multiple times and died shortly after in hospital, when in the late hours on 7 August 2023 a group of around 100-120 hooligans supporters of Dinamo Zagreb, reportedly met up with members-accomplices of an affiliated Athens club at a pre-arranged location and together made their way by car and train to AEK's stadium in Nea Filadelfia, went to Perissos, where fans of AEK were assembled in the broader vicinity. Clashes ensued between the two groups, which threw flares, makeshift explosives, projectiles and rocks, and used makeshift clubs. Hellenic Police have come under criticism for allowing the Dinamo Zagreb fans to assemble near the stadium and not stopping the brawl, intended to prevent the murder that occurred.

A prosecutor has ordered a preliminary investigation into an incident which occurred on Akadimias Street in Athens on 16 March 2023 during the general strike where a police tow truck drove at high speed into dumpsters that were being wheeled into the middle of a street by protestors.

Four police officers were arrested on 11 March 2023, include a higher officer, two lower-ranking policemen and a member of the Special Guard unit were responsible for guarding and transferring detainees, for allegedly beating and torturing a detainee.

On December 5, 2022, in Thessaloniki a 16-year-old Roma youth was fatally shot in the head by a 34-year-old motorcycle police unit DIAS officer involved in a chase after the teenager allegedly filled up his pickup truck at a gas station and left without paying the 20 euro bill triggered days of often violent protests in the Thessaloniki and Athens and other parts of Greece. He had been hospitalized for more than a week but he died on 13 December 2022.

Two motorcycle police unit DIAS officers, aged 24 and 27, were charged with raping a 19-year-old woman in Omonoia Police Station on 12 October 2022.

A disabled woman brutalized by two policemen at the Omonia Police Station on 29 October 2019, Hellenic Police (ELAS) confirmed the violent incident.

A special police guard Epaminondas Korkoneas killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on the night of December 6, 2008, following a verbal altercation with the teenager and his friends.

Michalis Kaltezas 15-year-old was fatally shot at the back of his head by the 27-year-old police officer Athanasios Melistas on 17 November 1985 during the annual 17 November protests remembrance day.

Iakovos Koumis (Sorira Ammochostos, 1956 – Athens, 23 November 1980) was a Cypriot law student who was fatally injured, along with 20-year-old worker Stamatina Kanellopoulou, by the Police Riot Units (M.A.T.) on 16 November 1980 during the annual 17 November protests remembrance day.

Syriza controversy

In 2012, Syriza political party, disagreed with the measures taken by the State authorities and the police against illegal immigration.

At early November 2012, the Minister of Public Order, Nikos Dendias, accused various MPs of the Coalition of Radical Left of "impersonating authority". According to the accusations, on 7 November 2012 the members of the party stopped a number of policemen while they were on duty, in a public protest, in order to check their credentials. Moreover, they took photographs of the plainclothes police officers and uploaded them on the internet site of the party (left.gr). The accusations prompted an angry reply from the party's spokesperson, who replied that they are "dirty accusations".

Allegations of ties with the far Right

In a 1998 interview with the newspaper Eleftherotypia, Minister for Public Order Georgios Romaios (PASOK) alleged the existence of "fascist elements in the Greek police", and vowed to suppress them.

Before the surrender of Androutsopoulos, an article by the newspaper Ta Nea claimed that the neo-Nazi political party Golden Dawn had close relationships with some parts of the Greek police force. Since the 1990s, the Hellenic Police has been condemned for the association of many of its officers with the far right movement, in particular the Golden Dawn party.

The newspaper published then a photograph of a typewritten paragraph with no identifiable insignia as evidence of the secret investigation. In the article, the Minister for Public Order, Michalis Chrysochoidis, responded that he did not recollect such a probe. Chrysochoidis also denied accusations that far right connections within the police force delayed the arrest of Periandros. He said that leftist groups, including the ultra-left anti-state resistance group 17 November, responsible for several murders, had similarly evaded the police for decades. In both cases, he attributed the failures to "stupidity and incompetence" on behalf of the force.

Golden Dawn stated that rumors about the organisation having connections to the Greek police and the government are untrue, and that the police had intervened in Golden Dawn's rallies and had arrested members of the Party several times while the New Democracy party was in power (for example, during a rally in Thessaloniki in June 2006, and at a rally for the anniversary of the Greek genocide, in Athens, also in 2006). Also, on January 2, 2005, anti-fascist and leftist groups invaded Golden Dawn's headquarters in Thessaloniki, under heavy police surveillance. Although riot police units were near the entrance of the building alongside the intruders, they allegedly did not attempt to stop their actions.

The "communicating vessels" between Police and Neo-Nazis resurfaced on the occasion of the riot that broke out during a protest on march June 28, 2011, when squads of riot police rushed to protect agents provocateurs isolated by the angry crowd, two of them A. Soukaras and A. Koumoutsos both unionists of ETHEL (ΕΘΕΛ) well known for both their extreme opinions, as well as their frequent presence in riots.

In July 2012, it was reported that Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, had placed the alleged ties of Greek Police and Golden Dawn under scrutiny, following reports of the Greek state's continued failure to acknowledge the problem.

According to political analyst Paschos Mandravelis, "A lot of the party's backing comes from the police, young recruits who are a-political and know nothing about the Nazis or Hitler. For them, Golden Dawn supporters are their only allies on the frontline when there are clashes between riot police and leftists.

Following the May 6, 2012 Greek Parliamentary election, in which Golden Dawn entered the Greek parliament, it was said that more than one out of two police officers voted for the party in districts adjacent to Athens' Attica General Police Directorate (GADA) The Hellenic Police falsified those claims, some of their arguments were that "The Hellenic Police falsified those claims, some of their arguments were that "the Special Electoral Lists also included civilians and people who reside in municipalities that are different from the municipalities that are registered in their elector lists, a big number of civilians and of non-civilians include, other categories of civil servants (army, navy, airforce, coast guard, firefighting staff, etc.), while in addition many police officers vote in their local constituencies." and "1048th electoral department of the 7th District of the Municipality of Athens, in which motorcycle police unit DIAS officers / Attica Directorate of Immediate Response exercised their right to vote, golden dawn also gained 11%, ranking third (as in national elections). Finally, in the vast majority of polling stations, in which police officers also voted during the European elections, in various areas (Kaisariani, Ampelokipi, etc.) golden dawn ranked third Since the election, Greek police officers have been implicated in violent incidents between Golden Dawn members and migrants. In September, one police officer was suspended for participating in a Golden Dawn raid against migrant-owned kiosks in an open market at Mesolongi; seven other officers were identified. Anti-fascist demonstrators were allegedly tortured in police custody that same month. In October, Greek police allegedly stood by while Golden Dawn members attacked a theater holding a production of the controversial play Corpus Christi.

Police action for human rights

The Police Action for Human Rights (DADA) union founded, in 2018 in Athens, to protect the rights of LGBT and female police officers. Some of their basic principles are the protection of human rights, the fight against prejudice and discrimination and the equal treatment of all citizens. The union has participated in events, against homophobia and racism in support of human rights, of the Athens Police Officers Association (EASYA) and representatives in the Panhellenic Federation of Police Employees. They have also participated in the pride together with those who belong to the Democratic Union Police Movement (DEKA), of the Athens Police Officers Association (EASYA) and representatives in the Panhellenic Federation of Police Employees (POASY).

See also

• Europol
• Interpol
• N.I.S. of Greece
• Crime in Greece

External links

• Hellenic Police official website (in Greek and English)
• Hellenic Police official portal (in Greek, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic)