Bands of youth are gathering anything flammable, ahead of the traditional Easter bonfires, even dismantling school benches, it emerged on Tuesday, while a slew of measures are in place in efforts to prevent the worst from happening.
The annual nuisance and breach of the peace is in full swing, while police spokesman Christos Andreou stated that catching youth with firecrackers and making arrests over their illegal use is challenging, as the perpetrators set them off and scram faster than officers can respond to incidents being called in.
The whole thing is ridiculous, Ive personally witnessed a group of teens dragging about a stolen green bin filled with wooden beams and other items, which I called in to the police, a disgruntled Nicosia resident told Cyprus Mail.
Deputy director of secondary education, Stelios Theophilou, said protective measures are nonetheless being taken.
Instructions had been given to schools to secure their equipment and remove anything remotely flammable from schoolyards, Theophilou told Philenews.
“We instructed schools not to leave even a trace of flammable equipment in school forecourts, even the benches,” he said.
Schools are also ensuring alarm systems are functioning but school premises will not be locked down during the day, as staff will be present, he added.
Some schools have employed private guards to patrol their vicinity with expensed borne by the school authorities.
“These are schools judged, for various reasons, to be high risk,” Theofilou noted.
Additionally, ten schools are currently relying on CCTV for which the personal data protection commissioner recently gave her approval.
Police patrols are also ongoing, school fences have been installed or reinforced, and lighting improved.
Meanwhile, staff have been instructed to check the premises and discretely monitor their students to help prevent flares, firecrackers or other items being used.
Over the past few weeks police officers have been visiting schools in an awareness campaign to inform children and youth, as well as parents and guardians, about the dangers of injury and mutilation.
Lastly, local authorities have been persuaded not to use school premises for the lighting of bonfires.
The fire department and the police have asked to be informed of any cases observed of bonfire preparations being made in areas adjacent to schools.
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