Drug Haunt near Kings Avenue Mall

[galexinda]

Drug dealing and anti-social behaviour is out of control at a heritage site close to Paphos mall, terrifying nearby residents who claim that the authorities have done nothing to allay their fears.

Crowds of young people and groups of men clearly selling drugs congregate, particularly at weekends, in and around an archaeological site found next to Paphos mall.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/11/24/drug ... phos-mall/

[Lincoln]

That is something I never thought would happen here in Paphos. Such a shame. Lets hope that there will be a Police clamp down.

[LouiseCastricum]

Indeed, such a shame it came to Paphos as well. Hope some proper action is taken.

[71 Trans Am]

This is not something that has just happened – 5 years ago some of the caves across the road from the Mall where the raised walkway is were strewn with needles and sawn of plastic bottles and squares of burnt aluminium foil – All that has happened is that it has moved across the road and now it is more obvious

[galexinda]

Dasoudi Park is another area that has problems which are being addressed by parents who would like to take their children there - between Sklavenitis and Lidl on Hellados Avenue.

[trevnhil]

And there is yet another lovely small park to the far side of Lidl car park which I use frequently.. I have not particularly seen signs of drug use, but there are a lot of bottles and cans littering the place. I noticed this morning that the chain link fencing surrounding the park had been pulled down in two places
For people to gain access .. I also noticed that the benches made out of 4x2 timber have many pieces missing, both on the seats and on the backrests. Bolts would have to have been undone to enable someone to take this timber away.
What a shame when others are trying to make a place to sit and relax

[Kili01]

If ever there was a case for police involvement, this must be it! Surely, its their job to get involved and to arrest the drug dealers? I first heard that there was drug taking with juveniles involved, near the Mall, about 5yrs ago. . Surely, an important public and tourist area like the Mall should have been cleaned up long before this. Also the other parks should be patrolled at night? If the Antiquities Dept wants to take over responsibility for the Archaeological site there it would be sensible to let them get on with it.
Maybe its time that the Cyprus Govt acknowledged the drug problem and devoted more money and manpower to the police.
Dee

[Yioula]

Drugs are becoming a major problem in Cyprus like most other countries. Cyprus Mail is reporting nearly every days someone has been arrested and prosecuted. The police force are undermanned and also probably lack of training. Policing everywhere now is completely different to even 10 years ago but the drug problem is epidemic amongst youngsters, even at a very young age, parents need to be aware of the signs to try to intervene before these youngster get their kicks out of stronger drugs with sad consequences
The government needs to act with more Police dedicated to these crimes and educating these youngsters of the health issues of taking these drugs

[mike strand2]

As a small island, it ought to be easier to stop the drugs entering the country in the first place!

[Jimgward]

Stopping drugs is almost impossible. The sheer amount of freight, deliveries and so on makes it so easy. You can only check suspect packages.

The only answer will inevitably have to be like Portugal, who have legalised and controlled the release of all drugs, controlled their health service and taking distribution (dealing) and taking off the streets. Controversial, but it seems to be working.

[boycott]

I am trained in sex and drugs education (from work in the UK) and was invigilating in Limassol a couple of years ago and was speaking to a Cypriot school teacher and was asking what sex and drugs education there was in Cypriot schools.
He replied none as there is no problem with drugs in Cyprus and the girls can speak to their mothers about sex, so no there is no need for sex/drugs education!

Also as it appears that the Cypriot Police cannot see and deal with such things as youths on none registered motor cycles, drivers on phones, illegal parking, speeding I would think there is very little chance of seeing/dealing with people who maybe doing drugs on the streets.

Also I suspect that the Cypriot Police think that they do not have a problem with drugs so no need to create one.
Many years ago a small county Police Force in the UK were beginning to have a problem with people drug dealing so to counter that they disbanded the drug squad so no dealers were caught and hence no problem with drug dealers.

Anyway does prosecuting the users of drugs actually work?
I of course agree that using in the street is anti social and that issue has to be resolved (Remember in the UK the authorities trying to resolve the issues with red light districts, was that a success or a failure and or right or wrong?)

[mike strand2]

Best be careful that this is not 'Fake News' as the Paphos Police seem to believe. See CM https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/11/27/paph ... fake-news/

[WHL]

As a small island, it ought to be easier to stop the drugs entering the country in the first place!

Dont think so, most drugs come in from the north side, it stretches right across the island, largely un policed, people can just walk across, with their drugs.

[mike strand2]

Better controls coming. Will certainly be necessary if Cyprus is to join Schengen.