Vandalism in Mouttalos Square: Paphos Municipality Calls for Cameras and Enhanced Policing
Unknown individuals sprayed and destroyed part of the Christmas decorations in Mouttalos Square. The Acting Mayor of Paphos is calling for cameras and greater police presence.
Vandalism in Mouttalos: Paphos Municipality Demands Action from Police
Unknown individuals sprayed and caused damage to part of the Christmas decorations in Mouttalos Square in Paphos. According to Dialogos, Acting Mayor of Paphos Angelos Onisiforou addressed the police on Tuesday with a request for enhanced presence and installation of closed-circuit surveillance systems in the area.
Mr Onisiforou expressed strong concern about the repeated criminal behaviour, questioning how far the situation could escalate. He emphasised that the incident was not an isolated occurrence: the municipality continuously receives complaints from Mouttalos residents about motorcycles drag racing, nuisance, damage to public infrastructure, and bin-burning incidents.
He also noted that residents report contacting the police about such incidents without—as they claim—receiving the expected response in many cases.
The Acting Mayor stressed that the municipality cannot replace the role of the police. "The municipality office, the municipal council, and municipal staff have specific responsibilities and cannot operate as police officers," he clarified. At the same time, he pointed out that the municipality is making continuous efforts towards maintenance, upgrading, and aesthetic improvement of the area, whilst residents bear the financial cost of restoring the damage.
As one of the immediate measures, Mr Onisiforou proposed the installation of cameras in Mouttalos Square and at other locations in the area where problems are repeated, provided that any such action would be carried out within the framework of current legislation. He also requested meaningful inspections, immediate response to residents' complaints, and better coordination between the responsible services, so that a sense of security in the neighbourhood could be restored.
Source: Dialogos