The vice-president of the Cyprus Psychologists’ Association, Stella Katsari, has called for the introduction of a formal framework for the continuous assessment of police officers, particularly regarding the possession and renewal of firearm permits.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) in the wake of the recent shooting in Limassol, in which a police officer critically wounded his wife with his service weapon before taking his own life, Katsari commented on the fact that psychometric testing within the police force is currently carried out only at the recruitment stage.

“The state has an obligation to establish a clear framework for the continuous assessment and support of police officers, particularly in relation to the possession and renewal of the right to carry firearms,” Katsari said.

She described such a process as “a necessary mechanism for prevention, strengthening professional competence and ensuring institutional accountability”.

Katsari stressed that systematic individual and group psychological support was particularly important for police departments that come into contact with vulnerable populations or are regularly exposed to traumatic incidents and distressing material.

“The more support professionals receive, the more their professional competence, quality of decision-making and protection, both of themselves and of citizens, is strengthened,” she said.

She added that such services should be provided by professionals registered in the Register of Registered Psychologists, as provided for under current legislation, in order to ensure a clear ethical and institutional framework of responsibility.