The government collects more than €1.5 million annually from private individuals and companies purchasing services from the Police. Revenue generated from providing police services goes directly to the state treasury as public income. When off-duty police officers are called in, they receive overtime pay from the Police Department’s allocated budget. These leases are conducted under the Police (General) Regulations, with terms set by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
According to data submitted to Parliament by Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis, following a question from DIKO MP Chrisis Pantelides, the state collected a total of €5,044,741 for policing services during the 2022-2024 period.
Both natural persons and legal entities can purchase police services from the Republic of Cyprus for guarding and conducting inspections at businesses and banking institutions, policing horse racing events, investigating road accidents and fatalities (insurance companies buy Traffic Police services to prepare reports used in compensation calculations), escorting cash shipments and large or hazardous cargo.
Services also include regulating traffic, such as during highway works or road closures for loading and unloading goods, providing security at various sports or other events held in public streets or venues, inspecting and offering security services to ships, with additional measures beyond those applied by the Republic, flight security, with supplementary measures beyond standard state protocols, graphological (handwriting) examinations, providing vehicles and facilities for television productions and any other leasing, subject to approval by the Police Chief.
Charges to individuals and companies purchasing police services are as follows: For police officers employed under the pay scale not exceeding A7, fees are calculated based on the average hourly overtime pay of scale A5. For other ranks, charges are based on the average overtime pay of their respective scales. Fees are uniform across all categories.
Advance Payments
Under the tenure of Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou, the process for leasing police services was revised. By decision of the Council of Ministers in 2015, leasing fees are now paid in advance by private lessees.
This change was necessary because, for several years before 2015, leasing fees for police and fire services were often unpaid. Outstanding debts to the state had accumulated to thousands of euros, imposing additional administrative costs on the government for tracking and collection.
Following recommendations from the Audit Office, the Internal Audit Service, and the State Treasury, then-Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou proposed revising the existing procedure and increasing the charges accordingly.
Charges apply for a minimum rental period of two hours.
Similar services are offered in several other EU member states.