Cyprus to bring back bicycle patrols

Deputy Minister for Tourism, Savvas Perdios said on Friday the Ministry intends to re-launch the Tourist Police, a project involving bicycle patrols by police officers in tourist areas.  The idea originally started back in 2019 but was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing an event on the launching of Ayia Napa’s Tourism Code of Ethics, Perdios said he will hold discussions with the Minister of Finance over the necessary funds, recalling that the Tourist Police project was specifically requested by the municipality of Famagusta “but the Covid-19 pandemic did not allow us to proceed with the implementation.”

Perdios noted that the officers patrolling on bicycles under the Tourist Police program are not limited to fighting crime, but are there to maintain public conduct and to urge tourists to respect municipal laws and the environment.

He also noted that Ayia Napa’s Code of Ethics is in line with the messages the Deputy Ministry would like to convey over Cyprus' new tourist identity and the slogan “Love Cyprus” which is “an indirect message to all those living or visiting the island that we should love and respect the island and the environment.”