Cyprus-Forum.com

[erolz66]

So you problem is what police unit was doing the job?

My problem is exactly that it would seem that it is the job of a supposed elite emergency response unit to randomly stop people who look foreign and check their papers in their 'quiet' periods and that you seem to see nothing wrong with this. You might not want your emergency response unit to be sitting around ready and primed to respond to an emergency involving say terrorism but instead be wandering around 'politely requesting foreign looking people for their papers', one of which just happens to get their leg broken in this process, but I do not. Any more than I want my fire fighters to use the time they are sitting around ready to respond to an emergency , going off and doing some other mundane duty they are not suited to in the first place. I personally would rather they sit there waiting to respond to an emergency. The clue for me really is in the name 'emergency response'.

Maybe time for a reality TV show ? ERU - Cyprus. 60 minutes following Cyprus' elite ERU squad as they go about their business stopping foreign looking people and asking for their papers.

[Paphitis]

In other countries, a Rapid Response Unit would have dragged him into the vehicle rather than let him make a stupid scene like that.

In any other civilised country you would never have officers from a rapid response unit wandering around the streets, stopping those who do not look like locals, on spec under the suspicion they might possibly be illegal immigrants.

I resent the fact that you are talking about other "civilized" countries. Are you saying Cyprus is not civilized.

These are not a Rapid Response Unit. The Anti Terrorism Division similar to Tactical Response Unit or SWAT in other countries are not the same.

And in any case, Cyprus is not the civilized USA which has a GDP of 17 Trillion and unlimited resources where it can pay Police Officers to sit around and do nothing other than wait for a major event.

Completely unfair to compare Cyprus to these countries and then insinuate that they are more civilized.

[Paphitis]

You are missing the point. Do SWAT teams in the USA or rapid response armed units in the UK, also stroll around stopping people who look like they might be 'foreign' to check their immigration status on the off chance they are illegal immigrants ? No they do not.

Any Cypriot worth their salt should be embarrassed and ashamed that members of such an allegedly 'elite' squad of officers is involved in such mundane activities in the first place, even ignoring the fact that an entirely innocent person ended up with a broken leg and just happened to also be black as a result of their actions.

As for this implied idea that we, as Cypriots, should not be concerned at these events because much worse things happen else where, that is just childish puerile nonsense. In my humble opinion of course.

Really sorry but you are way off track here.

Cyprus can't have a SWAT and TRG sit on its arse doing nothing. They need to be out there doing the regular police force. There is not enough money in the public purse to pay people to do nothing.

[erolz66]

There is not enough money in the public purse to pay people to do nothing.

Are you serious ? Have you ever been to just about ANY government department or semi governmental organisation to get something done, anything done in Cyprus ?

http://www.financialmirror.com/news-det ... ?nid=25129

Paying people from the public purse to sit on their back sides doing nothing is a Cypriot tradition and way of life with even greater roots than illegal bird trapping. If there is any public servant I want sitting on their arses waiting to spring into action, its the ones specially trained to deal with terrorism.

If these officers are to do 'normal policing' then let them do it in normal policing uniforms and in normal policing ways, which means without totally innocent people ending up with their legs broken.

[Get Real!]

Welcome back Erolz.

Your argument is based on the assumption that these officers had no business patrolling the area and then questioning these individuals, but the truth is we don’t know what their mission was because we’re not privy to instructions they received from a higher authority.

One could argue that what they were doing was very relevant to the mission statement you read in their website…

“To confront organized acts of violence and terrorism.
Secondary Mission
To provide help to the public in cases of calamity and/or other disasters.
To carry out any other special duties assigned by the Chief of Police (VIP protection, public order)"

We just don’t know…

[Paphitis]

There is not enough money in the public purse to pay people to do nothing.

Are you serious ? Have you ever been to just about ANY government department or semi governmental organisation to get something done, anything done in Cyprus ?

http://www.financialmirror.com/news-det ... ?nid=25129

Paying people from the public purse to sit on their back sides doing nothing is a Cypriot tradition and way of life with even greater roots than illegal bird trapping. If there is any public servant I want sitting on their arses waiting to spring into action, its the ones specially trained to deal with terrorism.

If these officers are to do 'normal policing' then let them do it in normal policing uniforms and in normal policing ways, which means without totally innocent people ending up with their legs broken.

That is no longer the way of life in the RoC. There is austerity, people have lost their jobs and those that have managed to stay employed have gotten big pay cuts.

Yes I see nothing wrong with it. The taxpayer pays the TRG Officers to keep them safe, and that means that while they are not doing any specialist police work or training, they can ask anyone for their papers, or write a traffic infringement like all the other Officers.

A police officer should be available to do any police work necessary at tbe time, including helping old ladies and monitoring the safety of children going and leaving school. It is also their responsibility to find and aprehend any illegals black or white and to enforce any RoC laws.

[erolz66]

Welcome back Erolz.

Thanks

Your argument is based on the assumption that these officers had no business patrolling the area and then questioning these individuals, but the truth is we don’t know what their mission was because we’re not privy to instructions they received from a higher authority.

No my argument is that it should NOT (in a civilised democracy) be the business of an elite emergency response unit to use random stops to find and arrest and deport illegal immigrants. You may say 'well maybe these people were stopped in relation to suspected terrorist activities' but you do not really believe that. One of the 'capabilities' of this 'elite' unit is 'Arrest and deportation of illegal immigrants ' and THAT is the problem. The very fact that this is listed as one of this units capabilities, along with things like "Handling of terrorist incidents, Handling high risk situations, Rescue and provision of humanitarian help in calamities and other disasters and Hostage negotiations" IS the problem here and to me at least speaks volumes about how institutionally ingrained it is in Cyprus.

[Paphitis]

Illegal Immigrants are indeed a security and terrorist threat to any country.

Illegals are not vetted for their political associations and their criminal history before entering the country.

I can tell you that at one time, Australia (a 'civilized' country) boarded a Ship that was carrying illegal immigrants with the SAS Regiment. They do this from time to time as training, but nevertheless, these guys are the best soldiers in the world so you can just imagine how scared these refugees would have been.

But as GR has said, no one would be aware if there was some other inteligence regarding alleged terrorist suspects affiliated to Jamar Islamiya or Al Qaeda.

[erolz66]

Illegal Immigrants are indeed a security and terrorist threat to any country.

I do NOT want my specialist trained anti terrorist forces to be trying to stop terrorist attacks or bombings by randomly stopping anyone who looks a bit foreign and checking their immigration status. If this really is the way this 'elite unit' hopes to foil potential terrorist attacks then heaven help us all. The reality is in any sane world you would not want it either, but this is Cyprus and clearly there is no lengths that some will go to, to try and make out that such madness is 'right' simply because by definition if this is what Cyprus does , it must be right.

[B25]

Elroz disappears for yonks then reappears to propose a straw man arguement about what police force was used. Just his way to put down the RoC again as normal. He overlooks the fact of what his own motherland has and is doing to its people, how many have they murdered recently? Why not go there are argue that. Then he also overlooks the fact that in many of these so called civilised countries that the police have stop and search powers. Yes he was black, yes he was not cypriot and yes all the more reason the ask for his papers. Problem with these blacks, they have this chip on their shoulder, bit like the tcs who demand special privilages, and then want to claim 'just because im black'. These all seems like a compensation scheme to me having watched the video, it does look like he was intentionally malhandled. Also seems strange that he was able to hold up his leg for the camera and seemingly not even in pain. Who was doing the filming i wonder?
So whether it was santa, rudolf or prince harry who asked for his papers, if they had the authority, his should just comply.
Now Elroz, im sure you have bigger fish to fry back in your motherland turkey and its muppet state. Bye bye.