Πηγή: OSAC
Overall Crime and Safety Situation
Crime Threats
Statistics suggest that violent crime in Greece is considerably less prevalent than in other European countries. Athens is safer in terms of violent crime than comparably sized metropolitan cities. However, there has been a dramatic and steady increase in security related incidents involving improvised explosive and incendiary device attacks, as well as small arms, grenades, and other infantry style weapons. A majority of the increased attacks are politically motivated incidents that usually have a specific target of interest. Armed violence and random assaults are still somewhat uncommon, but rates of street crimes, such as pick pocketing, purse snatchings, and other crimes of opportunity, appear to remain steady. Statistics for attempted and committed armed bank robberies have increased in Greece over the last two years. Reported crime statistics indicate that fraud related crimes and sexual assault crimes remain low in relation to population size. Cyber-crimes are also low in relation to population size but appear to be gradually increasing.
Police have reported a significant increase in burglaries of unoccupied homes and apartments, as well as theft from attended and unattended vehicles with valuables left in plain sight. “Smash & Grab” thefts are a recurring phenomenon. A common ploy is for a criminal to approach a vehicle from the passenger side and to smash the window and grab objects from the passenger seat. This most often occurs while someone is waiting at a traffic light or stop sign. Over the last year, there were high reported incidents of pick-pocketing and theft mainly targeting passengers utilizing the city Metro system. Many of the incidents reported were well coordinated by two or three culprits drawing the attention of the unsuspecting passenger with a call or request for assistance while personal belongings were covertly taken. Nearly all of the incidents reported occurred in the Metro system and increase around the holiday shopping seasons.
Road Safety
A combination of human factors, poor road designs, and a general disregard for safe driving practices result in hazardous conditions on Greek roadways for both pedestrians and motorists. The massive infrastructure improvements and road construction projects completed in 2004 alleviated some of the congestion in Athens, but a steady increase in the volume of traffic each year decreases the positive impact of these improvements.
The rate of serious vehicular accidents is substantially higher in Greece than in the U.S. and the rest of Europe. Greece continues to hold one of the highest rates within the European Union in per-capita traffic fatalities. Extreme caution should be used when driving in Greece, especially in Athens and other major cities. Most accidents occur between 5:00 pm and 4:00 am, with accidents peaking in August. Excessive speed, inattention, driving in the opposite direction, non-compliance with right of way, and drinking are major factors for accidents. Motorcycles and scooters normally drive between lanes and weave in and out of both moving and stopped traffic, posing significant risk to pedestrians. The severity of injuries is exacerbated by the widespread failure to use safety belts (only an estimated 26.3 percent of drivers and 14.1 percent passengers wear safety belts) and motorcycle helmets (only an estimated 29.8 percent of motorcycle drivers and 5.7 percent passengers wear helmets). The ability to deliver effective medical treatment following accidents is poor. Response time to accident scenes in Athens is significantly slower than in the U.S. due to a higher density of vehicular traffic. An International Drivers License is required by Greek law.
Political Violence
Historical Perspective
Demonstrations take place in Athens and Thessaloniki on an almost daily basis. Many demonstrations are normally organized by labor unions or student groups and are directed against the Greek Government. Protests in both cities take place around the city centers, and traffic can be seriously delayed as a result. Most protests and demonstrations are peaceful, but violent anarchist groups often attach themselves to demonstrations and clash violently with the police. A common practice of anarchist groups is to march towards the city center from the university areas and smash windows and burn vehicles and/or storefronts along the way. It is best to avoid the public university areas during these times. Police are generally forbidden from entering university campuses since the fall of the military dictatorship that suppressed a student rebellion at the Athens Polytechnic in 1973 in which at least 23 people were killed. As a result, violent anarchists use campuses as a safe base of operations.
In 2010, there was an increase in demonstrations, strikes, and work stoppages due to the economic crisis and in protest of the economic austerity measures that were implemented. This year alone, Athens was hit with seven general strikes, grounding flights, ferry cancellations, halting trains and public transportation, and the closing of government offices and schools. In addition to the austerity measures, many protests were directed toward the International Monetary Fund and the EU, as they were viewed by many Greeks to be offering an unfair lending rate on their $147 Billion debt rescue plan designed to help Greece pull its economy out of crisis.
