Italian police officers have begun patrolling central Athens alongside members of the Hellenic Police, while Greek officers are carrying out similar duties in Rome under a new bilateral security program between Greece and Italy. This is aimed at assisting tourists and strengthening cooperation between the two EU nations.
The first joint patrols are being deployed in busy tourist areas of the Greek and Italian capitals during the peak summer season. In Athens, two Italian officers have joined Greek police teams in areas with high visitor traffic. Greek officers, meanwhile, are serving alongside their Italian counterparts in Rome.
The operation is coordinated on the Italian side by the Service for International Police Cooperation (SCIP), which operates under Italy’s Department of Public Security. The visiting officers are intended to help citizens from their own country communicate with local authorities, provide assistance to tourists, and support the host police force.
The scheme puts into practice a memorandum signed in May 2025 by Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis and Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Athens and Rome agreed to deepen police cooperation and introduce joint patrols in tourist areas. The agreement also covers broader collaboration against organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, and other forms of crime that might affect both neighboring countries.
Italian Ambassador to Greece Paolo Cuculi welcomed the two Italian officers taking part in the Athens patrols, describing their presence as a practical example of closer cooperation between the two nations. The Italian side has also expressed hopes that the initiative can be expanded in years to come.
Increased police cooperation across Europe
Greece and Italy are not alone in deploying foreign police officers in popular tourist destinations. Similar arrangements operate elsewhere in Europe, particularly during the summer months.
Spain’s “European Police Stations” program brings officers from other European countries into major tourist destinations. This summer, German, Dutch, and Romanian officers have been serving alongside Spanish police in Mallorca, while French officers have joined patrols in Benidorm.
Croatia runs an even larger seasonal initiative known as “Safe Tourist Destination.” A total of 108 officers are assisting Croatian police during the 2026 tourist season with personnel from several countries working in popular coastal destinations of the Balkan nation. France, Croatia, and Portugal have also participated in the EU-Patrols project, designed to make mixed European police deployments easier to organize.
The officers serving abroad do not replace local police or independently take over policing duties. Instead, the programs combine the authority of local forces with the language skills and familiarity visiting officers can offer tourists, while building closer day-to-day cooperation between European police services.
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