Purpose
On the initiative of the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection, Services engaged in the fight against racial violence have been established all over Greece. More particularly, on the basis of Presidential Decree 132/2012, as amended by Presidential Decree 178/2014, two (2) Departments and sixty-eight (68) Offices for dealing with racial violence have been established all over Greece.
The aim of establishing those Services is to effectively combat violence characterized by racist motives, manifested against individual persons or groups.
Establishment
The two (2) Departments have been established in the context of the Police State Security Sub-directorates, which come under the Police Security Directorates of Attica and Thessalonica.
The sixty-eight (68) Offices have been operating as follows:
- five (5) of them in Attica under the respective Sub-directorates of the Police Security Directorate of Attica.
- Sixty three (63) of them in the provinces under the respective Sub-directorates and Security Police Stations, which operate in the context of the Police Directorates of the Prefectures.
Staff Service
In the Hellenic Police Headquarters, the staff work as regards the a/m Services has been assigned to the 1st Section for Social Issues and for the Combat against Racism of the State Security Directorate (the former 1st Section for Social and Cultural Issues), that has expanded its competencies to include the handling of issues and incidents of racism and xenophobia.
More particularly:
- it cooperates with co-competent state or non-state Bodies and with Services, Authorities, Bodies, and Organizations of the European Union and of other countries at an information level, for the best possible dealing with the phenomenon of racism,
- it studies, analyzes, and properly utilizes the relevant historical, social, and cultural conditions and other elements and data, in order to better assess racial trends and reactions for the prompt and efficient handling of the phenomenon,
- it keeps statistics regarding racial incidents and it pores over and evaluates the annual reports submitted by the Departments and the Offices, which are engaged in the fight against racial violence,
- each February, it draws up a report on the activities of the competent authorities regarding handled cases of racial violence during the previous year. The report in question is submitted to the Head of Staff / Hellenic Police Headquarters and communicated to the Chief of the Force,
- it represents the Hellenic Police at meetings, seminars, and conferences on the issue of racism and xenophobia at domestic, European, and international levels, on approval or by order of the Chief of the Police.
The Departments engaged in the fight against Racial Violence
The two (2) Departments that are engaged in the fight against racial violence/ State Security Sub-directorates of Attica and Thessalonica, on approval or by order of the Chief of the Hellenic Police, are also entitled to investigate offences related to racial violence in areas coming under the competence of the General Police Inspectors of Southern and Northern Greece respectively; mainly, if racial incidents weigh heavily on the public because of their gravity, if they adversely affect the citizens’ feeling of security, if they need special experience and knowledge for the gathering of relevant evidence and for the arrest of the perpetrators and/or if there are suspicions of organized racial activities in the wider areas of one or of more Police Directorates.
In any case, the General Regional Police Director and the Director of the Police Directorate are accordingly informed and their competent Services provide every relevant assistance, if needed. After the completion of the activities of the staff of the Departments engaged in the Fight against Racial Violence, the Director of the local State Security Sub-directorate submits a relevant report to the Chief of the Hellenic Police that sets out all related details (type of offences, conditions, etc.).
Responsibilities
The Departments and the Offices engaged in the fight against Racial Violence:
- intervene ex officio or following charges or complaints in the investigation and persecution of every kind of exhortation, preparation, and/or perpetration of activities or actions that may incite racial discrimination, hatred, and/or violence against persons or groups of persons because of their race, complexion, religion, family-tree history, genealogic, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
- gather, process, and properly utilize information and data on the perpetration or the preparation of offences having racial characteristics,
- the Departments coordinate and give instructions to the Offices that are engaged in the Fight against Racial Violence for discharging their duties,
- they develop cooperation with co-competent State Services and Bodies and with other social Bodies and Organizations, in the context of their mission and for the more effective management of racial incidents,
- they take initiatives or they assist other Authorities, Services and Bodies with their initiatives for preventing and countering racial violence,
- they keep under surveillance places and areas where there is increased danger for the out-breaking of racial attacks,
- they cooperate with international Organizations and Bodies and with Bodies and representatives of vulnerable social groups that have been victims or they may be future victims of racist attacks,
- they keep a special record on racist incidents handled by them,
- they inform victims or complainants of their rights,
- they inform the competent Services of the need for the rendering of medical care, hospitalization and/or psychological support to victims of racist attacks; they also inform those responsible of the need for interpreters,
- they promptly inform the competent Public Prosecutor every time they undertake the preliminary examination of cases of racist violence; in addition, they inform of serious incidents our Country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the racism victims’ Consular Authorities,
- each January, they draw up a report on racial violence cases handled by them during the previous year and they submit it to the 1st Section for Social and Cultural Issues and for the Combat against Racism/State Security Directorate of the Hellenic Police Headquarters.
The staff – the training
The 2 Departments and the 68 Offices engaged in the Fight against Racial Violence are staffed with more than 200 specialized officials of the Hellenic Police that they mainly originate from Security Services.
Telephone list of Services engaged in the Fight against Racial Violence per Police Directorate
Electronic communication format – Complaints
(complaints regarding racial incidents)
