Security at police station beefed up after escape

Repairs were underway on Tuesday, at the Lakatamia police station where a detainee escaped from a holding cell, with police seeking to ensure that a repeat incident is impossible.

Meanwhile, a manhunt is ongoing since the escape on Thursday night of the suspect, named as 28-year-old Charalambos Savvas. Savvas managed to remove glass bricks from his cell window, using a metal railing installed as a support for the disabled.

The station was visited by CID officers and an inspection committee to identify and correct weaknesses in the building’s security.

Although the station is surrounded by a camera system, no one saw the detainee while he made his escape, nor when he climbed onto a truck and jumped over the gates to disappear.

Metal bars will now likely be installed outside the window to prevent any future attempts.

According to police spokesman Christos Andreou, three officers have been suspended for 15 days while a disciplinary investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, police are still appealing for anyone who has information on the escapee to contact CID Nicosia on 22802202/22802222 or the citizen’s line 1460 or their nearest police station. Savas was reported to originate from a rural community of Nicosia and to be known to authorities for various cases of burglary.