The professional association Justice for the Civil Guard (JUCIL) warns of the negative evolution observed in the Balearic Islands where a significant increase in population is accompanied this year by a 10% increase in the number of crimes compared to the previous year.
These increases make the island territory more and more difficult to control due to the constant arrival of tourists in a place where there is less and less presence of civil guards.
Many of those stationed in this Community are moving to other places due to the difficult living conditions demanded by the islands with exorbitant housing prices and skyrocketing living costs.
A quarter of the posts in the Guardia Civil staff of the Balearic Command are vacant.
“We are heading for a perfect storm with more and more population, more waves of tourists in all the islands and, at the same time, less presence of guards”, stresses the provincial secretary of JUCIL in the Balearic Islands, Tomás Quesada.
There is currently 1 civil guard for every 943 inhabitants.
THE STRENGTH OF THE FIGURES AGAINST THE IMPRESSIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND POLITICIANS
The statistics for the first half of the year show what the public administration and political statements try to avoid: crime is on the rise and violence is on the increase.
Crimes against sexual freedom increased by 33% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the figures of the previous year.
And proof of this increase is the trickle of gang rapes in recent months. With at least three cases in the last week. ”
And the number of civil guards in Public Security is in free fall. Fewer and fewer colleagues want to be transferred or choose the Balearic Islands as their first destination,” reasons Quesada.
With a population of close to one million inhabitants in Mallorca, over 150,000 in Ibiza and close to 100,000 in Menorca, robberies with violence and intimidation are growing by more than 30%, as are vehicle thefts, and the percentage is similar in fights and brawls.
The growth of these crimes, as well as crimes against sexual freedom, show a similar trend on the three islands.
“The catalogue of the Balearic Command states that there should be 1,730 civil guards. That is according to an already outdated list of posts. The reality is worse and the official figures show a real staff of 1,282, with 448 vacancies, a quarter of the total staff”, Quesada points out.
AN OVERSTAFFED FORCE WITH MORE DEPARTURES THAN NEW ARRIVALS
Under these conditions, the actual number of civil guards can be overstretched to meet the security needs of citizens, visitors and tourists.
“It is becoming more and more normal for some colleagues to opt for quieter posts, such as building or port surveillance, before continuing in Information or Public Security,” explains Quesada.
“In March, 83 colleagues were recruited, more than half of them with a forced posting. The situation is illustrated by the fact that of the 168 new guards who arrived last year, 79 are leaving, having requested postings in other provinces. Between specialities and Citizen Security, 134 departures are expected in the next competition, and of the vacancies announced for transfers, 64 have been left vacant, more than half in Ibiza”, says the provincial secretary of JUCIL.
REQUEST FOR AN URGENT MEETING
“For years we have been calling for a change in the conditions of insularity that would facilitate and promote the transfer and reception of civil guards. We trust that someone, with sufficient responsibility in the Administration, will attend to these requests and improve the productivity conditions for those who are posted to the Balearic Islands. JUCIL believes that there is still time to change the situation. We do not want the Balearic Islands to become a punitive destination for civil guards. We want these Mediterranean islands not to become an unattractive and dangerous place for its residents and for the tourists who come every year,” argues Quesada.
“In June we sent a letter to the Ministers of the Interior and the Treasury asking that, at least this year, the payment of special productivity during the summer be recovered, but the response has been silence,” says Tomás Quesada.
“But we are not giving up and we are asking for an urgent meeting with the government delegate in the Balearic Islands, Aina Calvo, to once again demand an improvement in security conditions in the Balearic Islands,” he adds.
