Athens police ‘Aríadni’ plan cuts transport crime by up to 90%

The ‘Aríadni’ operational plan, launched by the Greek ministries of Citizen Protection, Infrastructure and Transport, deploys 410 police officers across Athens’ metro, electric, tram, suburban rail and bus networks. From February 2025 to June 2026 the programme carried out 283,988 checks, resulting in 4,432 arrests, 3,023 summonses and 1,343 drug‑related cases, 162 theft or robbery incidents and 44 property‑damage reports.

According to Deputy Transport Minister George Kotseras, “Safety is a basic prerequisite for a modern, functional city.” Police Director Athanasios Kampas added that the plan is “a multi‑layered prevention, deterrence and suppression scheme.” The initiative reduced vandalism of vehicles and infrastructure by 90%, attacks on drivers, inspectors and staff by 80%, and passenger thefts by 70%. Presence of drug‑dependent individuals in stations fell by 60%.

Additional actions included over 11,500 escort missions for fare inspectors, 28,876 interventions with drug‑dependent persons, 1,938 fan‑management incidents, 42 first‑aid provisions and support for 211 vulnerable passengers. Passenger surveys showed the greatest perceived safety gains on the tram (+39 points), trolley (+20), buses (+11) and metro/electric (+10).