Excellency, President of the Hellenic Republic,

Your presence in today΄s event constitutes the greatest of all honours to us.

The Hellenic Police Force is celebrating today on one hand the memory of the Patron Saint of the Force, Great Martyr St Artemios and on the other, its own special day.

It is the “Day of the Police”.

This event is not merely ceremonial. It cannot be limited to the strict framework of commemorative celebrations. It has been organized neither for promotional reasons nor to impress the public.

This celebration has obtained a deeper meaning, while also having gained significant importance, because it reflects the relationship between the Hellenic Police Force and the Greek state, the Greek society and its citizens.

Today the Greek State honours the Hellenic Police Force for what it has to offer to our homeland and to our society.

Today the Greek society and the citizens reiterate their acknowledgement and trust to us.

Today, we, the Greek Police Officers, have come to renew our faith to the oath we have taken, to the values and the principles we wish to serve.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the highest value of the “Day of the Police”. This day provides us with the opportunity to account for the past, to assess the present and draw up the future.

It goes without saying that in the past years our country has been faced with big challenges; I would rather call them ?challenges of historic scale?. Greece has been asked to manage events of paramount importance as regards to its progress and prospects in the modern times.

“Security” rose as the primary concept in order to successfully deal with such events.

The Hellenic Police Force responded to and contributed in dealing with these issues in an utmost decisive way.

Having started with the successful dismantling of the terrorist organizations “17^th of November” and “ELA”, then reaching the apex with the tremendous success of safely hosting the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, this is how we have created the new environment of security in our country.

It is this new security framework together with the low levels of crime that made Greece stand out as one of the safest countries in the world.

This accomplishment is all the more valuable if we take into consideration that today in the international field, startling changes occur in the geopolitical and geoeconomical sphere, bringing about critical threats, risks and challenges.

Countries must now confront an extraordinarily sensitive combination of conventional as well as new threats, which add many new meanings to the traditional concept of security.

The international aspect of terrorism, the absurd face of fundamentalism and the asymmetrical practices strongly threaten human kind and civilization, since they can produce world-wide effects starting from local incidents.

Risks do no longer have a clear point of origin or destination.

September 11^th, 2001, the attacks in Moscow, Bali, Istanbul, Madrid, London and elsewhere have painted an image with the darkest colours.

Apart from the above, transnational organized crime, world drug trade, illicit trade of arms, human trafficking, sophisticated forms of electronic and economic crime extend the field of risks and increase the citizens΄ sense of insecurity.

Such kind of threats, their sometimes obvious correlation and their interaction have made security a theme that concerns us all now. It is an issue concerning the international community, all States, governments, societies and citizens.

Modern threats adopt different practices and tactics, apply a different approach and derive from a different cause; still, they share the common ground of placing under risk essential notions and rights protected by law, since they mainly aim at:

Undermining the setting up of state structures and social cohesion,

Destabilizing the economy and the growth process,

Hurting the vivid and high spirit of both countries and citizens,

Influencing the will of governments and institutions.

There is no room for relaxing in our vigilance or for negligence under these circumstances. These facts demand for our readiness, vigilance, responsiveness and certainly, our security strategy.

We have created our “security strategy” around the main concept of security itself. Today this concept is a primary prerequisite for stability. Stability is an essential factor of growth, progress, prosperity and social cohesion.

This strategy provides our country with the opportunity to promote its objectives in the greater region, to upgrade the role it plays at the regional level and further strengthen its position in the international allocation of influence and power.

This is the contribution of the Hellenic Police Force to the present and the future of our Country.

We have developed our strategy bearing in mind the need to manage the security issue in an efficient but also human-oriented way so as to:

Establish and further strengthen security in our country,

Safeguard the right of the citizens to live in this environment under the absolute protection of their individual rights,

Defend the need for progress, growth and prosperity not only at the domestic level but also in the greater region.

The Police Forces of Balkan countries share this orientation with us and this is what is precisely underlined by the presence of their Chiefs in today?s event.

I would like to thank them for accepting our invitation and honoring our celebration with their presence here today.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Hellenic Police Force, on the basis of the strategy it has developed, embarks on a new course of action so as to achieve its objectives.

In last year?s same event, at the aftermath of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, I had then pinpointed that by no means does this great success constitute for us a moment of triumph. On the contrary, it marks our responsibility and commitment.

This year I stand on this podium to point out that we are rising up to this responsibility. Everyday we turn our commitment into action.

We implement an integrated plan including actions in all levels and fields.

We make the best out of the Olympic “acquis”, transferring the know-how and experience to countries staging important sports events.

We cooperate with China, Germany, Austria, Canada, Brazil, Qatar, Algeria, South Africa and other countries, mainly “exporting” the Olympic “acquis” to the benefit of the international community.

Besides, Greece is the only country in the world today that has embedded to the Olympic Security Model all available means deriving from international experience and know-how.

In addition to that, we have adapted this model in the proper way, tuning it with the post-Olympic reality and the requirements of our strategic planning.

The level of readiness, response and efficiency of the Hellenic Police Force is proven by the way we have handled quite critical situations, such as the bus hi-jacking incident in December of the year 2004, an incident that could have evolved in an unforeseen way, entailing a risk for human lives.

The security strategy we have drawn up and the model we have been implementing form a combination offering a comparative advantage to the Hellenic Police Force.

This combination constitutes the core of our spirit; a spirit we wish to promote through police cooperation and security diplomacy. This combination can prove of significant use in various international efforts to stabilize so-called “hot” or “sensitive” areas.

Needless to say that the Hellenic Police Force capabilities expand way beyond the above mentioned fields of action.

The Hellenic Police Force is currently implementing a modern policy against crime, with separate planning per field of action both at the strategic and tactical level.

As far as the strategic level is concerned, we proceed to a constant mapping of crime-generating areas and the causes giving birth to crime, favouring or covering it.

This information constitutes a “quality index”, since it depicts the social reality of crime.

As far as the tactical level is concerned, we implement a series of flexible and well-targeted operational actions, adapted to the social particularities and special conditions prevailing in each area.

We try to have a strong impact with our presence in the neighbourhoods so as to radically reduce the occasions for committing offences.

The police seek to implement modern ways and collective actions in its interventions, so as to deal with the problems together with the citizens and the local society. For instance, the pilot project of the new concept of Community Police Officer is currently implemented in Thessalonica.

Furthermore, we develop alternative ways of combined police actions included in the ?POLIS? action plan. This plan has been implemented since the beginning of this year in Greece with significant results in the field of prevention and cracking-down crime.

In order to deal with complex forms of crime such as drug-dealing, organized crime, human trafficking, cross-border crime, financial and electronic crime, we undertake specialized action with significant results and major successes at the national, regional and international level.

It should be noted that the relevant Police Force Services, which are competent in this field, are highly recognized and approved by the respective Services of other countries and have been awarded with distinctions of honor by international institutions.

We utilize everything that technology, know-how, science and our state-of-the-art laboratories have to offer, thus achieving impressive results in investigating criminal actions.

Moreover, as far as Road Police is concerned, we implement integrated road patrolling systems, which bring about positive results, in terms of reducing road accidents and upgrading the level of road security in our country.

Everything I have mentioned so far has tangible and measurable results.

Last year, speaking from this same podium, I had pointed out that the new important challenge, the new great bet we have to win, is the issue of collective security. Security for the entire society, for all the citizens.

This year, I can definitely say that we are winning this bet day by day.

Levels of crime in our country are considerably lower not only when compared to those of other European countries but also internationally.

Greece is a safe country today. It is considered as one of the safest destinations. Citizens live their everyday life in conditions that allow them to be productive in their activities.

In my quality of Chief of the Hellenic Police Force, let me reassure you that these significant results have been achieved thanks to the cornerstone of the Police Force, which is the Police human resources; the entire staff of the Hellenic Police Force.

I would like to express in public my congratulations to the staff, because they daily perform their duties at the service of the society with the utmost sense of responsibility.

Let me also extend my thanks to the retired officers for their contribution a proof that they continue to be active members of the big police family.

The Police Force has a strong bond with them and that is why the Hellenic Police Force Headquarters has created the “Day of the Retired Police Officers” to their honor, whereas it has also set up an operational special department for communicating with them and meeting their requirements.

At this point, I would also like to thank the Greek state for its unlimited support, not to mention the citizens for acknowledging and trusting their Police Force.

We are all building our new Police Force, modern, efficient and right next to the citizen. We intend to make these three features last for ever.

It is the duty of the Hellenic Police Force to rise up to the needs of today as well as to the demands and challenges of tomorrow.

That is why we have drawn up an integrated plan, pulling the right strings so as to move towards this direction.

We have planned and are currently in the process of restructuring the Services of the Police Force. This work is in full progress in the entire country. It is my firm conviction that this project is of paramount importance for our future course.

In the context of this restructuring the following are already up and running:

The General VIP Security Division for better coordinating the Services involved in this field,

The Attica and Thessalonica Foreigners? Divisions to deal with issues related to foreign nationals in an integrated and coordinated way.

The Attica Police Sub-Divisions to monitor and coordinate Police Departments.

We proceeded to the total restructuring of the Thessalonica General Police Division. In this framework we created two new Sub-Divisions, twelve Police Departments, twelve new Security Departments and a helicopter airfield.

We are also progressing in setting up a special Crisis Management Division at the Hellenic Police Force Headquarters to support our actions within the new post-Olympic Crisis Management System. This project is now at the final stage of planning.

In addition to that, an imminent action is the creation of a Special Forces Division to upgrade the readiness and the efficiency of such Services.

We have also founded the Highway Police hosting twelve new Road Police Departments aiming at maximizing road security in our country. Four of these Police Departments are already operating in the hot spots of our national road network, with quite positive results. They are mainly running in Maliakos, Tempi, Corinthia and Achaia.

Apart from the above, we are also paying particular attention to other fields.

We are enhancing and enlarging our regional and international cooperation so as to utilize, incorporate and implement common strategies regarding security issues.

Besides, we give priority to strengthening our representation in international police institutions and peace-keeping missions.

Furthermore, one of our key objectives is to upgrade the education and training system of our staff. We have included new, modern and upgraded training curricula covering the entire spectrum of professional police training. We consider this sector as one of our top priorities, aiming at establishing life-long training of Police Officers.

We are modernizing and reshaping the organizational structure and the institutional framework of the Hellenic Police Force so as to improve the operational status of the Police Force in terms of an Institution.

For instance, we have drawn up and distributed to all members of staff the “Code of Ethics of the Police Officer”, not to mention sophisticated professional manuals, such as the manual to deal with violence within the family and the manual for bringing in detainees, their treatment and rights.

The manuals I have just mentioned form the framework of principles and rules as well as the self-binding code of the Greek Police Officer to absolutely respect human rights.

Allow me to turn my attention now to the citizens? field. We are pulling for a series of legislative changes to cut down red tape and offer services of higher quality. I could for instance mention the example of identity cards, which as of the beginning of November will be issued and delivered to the citizens on the same day the relative demand has been filed.

Moreover, from the beginning of the year 2006, the Hellenic Police Force shall be able to issue in the entire Greek territory the new passports, considered to be the safest at the international scale, thanks to the new state-of-the-art equipment it has acquired.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you may have realized, the list of our actions is quite long. By no means shall I claim that everything has already been done. However, many important accomplishments have already happened in many fields of action. We are getting on, taking strong steps, in the course we have decided.

We make all possible efforts to further improve security conditions in our country and rise up to your expectations.

Our “everlasting value” is for Greece to keep being one of the safest countries in the world.

This is exactly the value that has been included in the ?contract of honor? between the Hellenic Police Force and the Greek State, the Greek society and the citizens. It is the “contract of honor” we are constantly entering into force not by offering our written signature but by offering our own soul.

Thank you for your attention.