Crime tops agenda at Cyprus conference

AN International conference studying the true dimensions of crime in Cyprus and look at ways of combating it was opened last night at Cyprus University.

The conference, “Ways of dealing with crime in Cyprus: a comparative approach”, is organised by the Justice Ministry and the university and will finish this evening.

In his opening speech yesterday, Justice Minister Nicos Koshis said the conference was being held in tandem with efforts to form a complete, national, anti-criminal policy.

“The aim is to reveal the true dimensions of crime and compare them to those in other countries. On top of that, we will look at ways of combating crime,” Koshis said. The minister stressed the importance of upgrading the role of the police “to maximise their effectiveness and efficiency”.

He also referred to the creation of the Anti-Narcotics Council earlier this year to prevent drug use. More than 100 academics and experts from Britain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus are taking part in the conference.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.