By Nikolaos Zaimis
A special day today for the men and women of the Hellenic Police as they honor their patron saint Artemios the Great Martyr. After the unification of the two Corps (City Police and Gendarmerie) and the establishment of the Hellenic Police, upon the recommendation of the Religious Service, Presidential Decree 398/1987 was issued, which recognized the patron saint of the Corps, and October 20, the day his memory is honored, as an official holiday of the .
The Church is also at the side of the Hellenic Police. The Religious Service of the Police is called upon to play the role of spiritual guide. The beneficial presence of the Church in the difficult work of the Police has been noted since early times, from the first years of the establishment of the Gendarmerie Corps and continues to this day, empowering the Police who provide security to a society that is plagued by feelings of insecurity.
The celebration of October 20th as an official holiday of the Hellenic Police is characterized by the long-term historical continuity of the Gendarmerie Corps, the City Police and the Hellenic Police, a continuity that is bequeathed to the next generations of the Police Family and is passed on through the preservation of our cultural heritage. For this purpose, from today the Corps acquires its own "Exhibition Space for the Collection of Historical Relics of the Hellenic Police" which will operate in the former Hellenic Police Officers' School, after it was enriched with relics and materials of historical value and, in essence, reminds of the decisive effort that is being made in the field of cultural promotion of the long-term course of the Corps.
The Daily Order of the Chief of the Hellenic Police
In his Daily Order for the celebration, the Chief of the Hellenic Police, Lieutenant General Michael Karamalakis, refers, among other things, to Saint Artemios as well as to the modern challenges that the Hellenic Police are called upon to face with professionalism and dedication.
“Today’s solemn tribute to the Protector of the Corps, the Holy Great Martyr Artemios, and the celebration of his memory, symbolizes the deepest essence of the purpose of police work, the self-sacrificing and self-denial offering and the humanitarian dimension of serving our fellow citizens on non-negotiable terms of equality, democracy and transparency,” says Mr. Karamalakis and adds about Saint Artemios that “he offered us through his death an intangible meaning of reciprocity, with two pragmatic dimensions, those of practical offering, but also of the recognition of giving based on the values of love, solidarity and justice. Thus, the work of every police officer consists of offering to the citizen and society and, respectively, in strengthening extroversion and trust in the uniformed colleague with parallel social recognition of the work and of its action.”
"The mission of the Hellenic Police is determined by the necessity of protecting human existence and entity through the formation of a climate of proximity and the implementation of policing models, which are adjusted according to the prevailing and developed conditions at any given time. In this context, in recent times, the Hellenic Police personnel have participated in and managed natural or humanitarian crises, of socio-political impact and anthropogeographical nature, through a dynamic process of direct and successful intervention, a fact that has highlighted and highlights strategic and operational capabilities, which add added value to our work, while confirming the high professional level of the Corps’ officers and the effectiveness in carrying out our particularly significant mission”, emphasizes the Chief of the Hellenic Police.
At the same time, the Chief underlines that the Hellenic Police, with its social face, among other things, comes to assist primarily sensitive social groups, respecting human existence and dignity, so that they can break the shackles of their silence and deal with negative social phenomena that plague our society through collective effort and synergy.
“We have a duty to remain faithful to the ideals and values of our oath. To remain selfless companions of the citizen. Let our every action begin with the sole purpose of offering. Let the defense of the internal security of our Country constitute our permanent professional perspective,” he concludes.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
In his Daily Order for the celebration, the Chief of the Hellenic Police, Lieutenant General Michael Karamalakis, refers, among other things, to Saint Artemios as well as to the modern challenges that the Hellenic Police are called upon to face with professionalism and dedication.
“Today’s solemn tribute to the Protector of the Corps, the Holy Great Martyr Artemios, and the celebration of his memory, symbolizes the deepest essence of the purpose of police work, the self-sacrificing and self-denial offering and the humanitarian dimension of serving our fellow citizens on non-negotiable terms of equality, democracy and transparency,” says Mr. Karamalakis and adds about Saint Artemios that “he offered us through his death an intangible meaning of reciprocity, with two pragmatic dimensions, those of practical offering, but also of the recognition of giving based on the values of love, solidarity and justice. Thus, the work of every police officer consists of offering to the citizen and society and, respectively, in strengthening extroversion and trust in the uniformed colleague with parallel social recognition of the work and of its action.”
"The mission of the Hellenic Police is determined by the necessity of protecting human existence and entity through the formation of a climate of proximity and the implementation of policing models, which are adjusted according to the prevailing and developed conditions at any given time. In this context, in recent times, the Hellenic Police personnel have participated in and managed natural or humanitarian crises, of socio-political impact and anthropogeographical nature, through a dynamic process of direct and successful intervention, a fact that has highlighted and highlights strategic and operational capabilities, which add added value to our work, while confirming the high professional level of the Corps’ officers and the effectiveness in carrying out our particularly significant mission”, emphasizes the Chief of the Hellenic Police.
At the same time, the Chief underlines that the Hellenic Police, with its social face, among other things, comes to assist primarily sensitive social groups, respecting human existence and dignity, so that they can break the shackles of their silence and deal with negative social phenomena that plague our society through collective effort and synergy.
“We have a duty to remain faithful to the ideals and values of our oath. To remain selfless companions of the citizen. Let our every action begin with the sole purpose of offering. Let the defense of the internal security of our Country constitute our permanent professional perspective,” he concludes.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
