Limassol’s municipal council on Monday rejected a €43,000 security fee requested by the police for this year’s carnival parade, igniting a larger conversation about how policing for public events is funded across Cyprus.

The decision has raised questions about the police force’s budget allocations and its ability to provide adequate security for cultural events amid financial constraints.

In a unanimous vote, the council argued that it is the state’s responsibility to cover the cost of policing for public events like the carnival, rather than placing the burden on local municipalities. The decision has support from the Union of Municipalities, which has suggested that other councils might follow suit if they, too, are asked to fund security for public celebrations.

The police, on the other hand, justified their request by explaining that due to changes in their budget allocations for 2025, they are now tasked with providing security for more cities and towns hosting carnivals.

“In previous years, it has been our responsibility to support the Limassol carnival by providing officers at no cost. However, this year, it was not financially feasible for us to fully fund security for Limassol’s event,” the police press office told the Cyprus Mail on Monday.

While the carnival is a major cultural celebration, the police have stated that it is not viewed as a high-risk event.

“We provided security for multiple events in Limassol last year. We view the carnival primarily as a festive celebration rather than a high-risk public safety concern. Given this, we believe the municipality could allocate part of its budget to cover the security costs.”

The discussion has drawn attention to the wider issue of police funding and resource allocation. With tighter budgets, the police force has had to adjust its priorities.

“We prioritise funding for events that present significant security challenges, such as protests, which are of greater public importance,” the police clarified.

“A carnival is an entertainment event, and while we support public festivities, our resources must be allocated where they are most needed.”

The rejection of the €43,000 fee has highlighted the ongoing tension between the police’s need for funding and the municipalities’ budget limitations.

Local councillors argue that while police officers should be fairly compensated for overtime work, the cost of such services should come from the police’s own budget, not from the municipalities. Limassol’s municipal council has pointed out that the carnival is part of the city’s cultural tradition and is open to the public free of charge, meaning there are no ticket revenues to cover additional expenses.

This situation raises broader questions about how the police force allocates its resources across various public events, and whether changes in funding will impact the security of other celebrations in Cyprus. If the police continue to scale back funding for public events that are not deemed to pose significant risks, municipalities may find themselves forced to step in with their own budgets or seek alternative security solutions.