The mayor of Chania Panagiotis Simandirakis received a visit from the new Director of the Chania Traffic Police, Superintendent Efstratia Koulara, on Thursday 6th March. Also present at the meeting were the deputy mayors Nikos Hazirakis, responsible for traffic issues in the Municipality; Michalis Tsoupakis for the Environment, Hygiene and Green matters; Michalis Kalogridakis for Technical Services; and Giannis Nikiforakis for Local Economy and Development.

The mayor welcomed the new director to his office, wishing her every success in her new duties. He also informed her about the issues which are of concern to the Municipality of Chania, including traffic, illegal parking, the new works which are being carried out in the city, and the need for coordination and good collaboration between the Municipality and the Traffic Police with a view to the start of the tourist season.

Their conversation covered, amongst other things, the serious problem of understaffing of the Chania Traffic Police, with the mayor declaring that the Municipality would support every effort to reinforce the service, as well as the timetable for the permitted movement of heavy vehicles in the city. In relation to the latter, it was agreed that joint inspections by teams from the Traffic Police and the Municipality would be carried out within the next few days so as to agree on a commonly acceptable schedule for the loading and unloading of supply vehicles within the urban centre.

Ms Koulara on her side reassured the mayor of the ongoing efforts of the Traffic Police to ensure compliance with the law and security in Chania, and committed her service to continuing the good cooperation between the two sides.

The new Director comes to Chania following 15 years’ experience with the Traffic Police in Heraklion. She took up the post in late January following the fatal accident at Souda, caused by a drunk driver who had been allowed to go on his way by a Police patrol despite being breathalysed and found to be well over the limit. Following the accident, the Chania police chief and his deputy were relieved of their duties by order of the Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis, and the then head of the Traffic Police, Superintendent Martha Kitsiou, was moved to the Police HQ in Chania, according to some reports at her own request.
(Municipal press release)

Courtesy visit by new Fire Service chief
The previous Tuesday, 4th March, the new head of the Chania Fire Service, Argyris Rengas, paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Regional Governor for Chania Nikos Kalogeris. Also present was the Deputy Regional Governor for Civil Protection Giorgos Tsapakos.

Under discussion were the ongoing collaboration between the Region of Crete and the Fire Service, and the possibilities for even better coordination for the immediate and effective handling of emergencies. Mr Kalogeris congratulated the fire chief on the assumption of his new duties and wished him every success in his work.

Argyris Rengas replaces the previous head of the Chania Fire Service Xenofontas Tsilimigakis, who has been promoted and is expected to take up a post at the Fire Service HQ. He previously served as a fire officer in Thessaloniki and was appointed amongst other posts as head of the 2nd ΕΜΑΚ (special disaster response unit) and the 2nd EMODE (special forest operations unit). It is anticipated that another EMODE will be set up in Chania.
(Haniotika Nea 06/03/25, http://www.firefightingreece.gr)