Torrevieja’s PSOE councillors have voiced support for strengthening the number of Guardia Civil and National Police officers deployed in the municipality—particularly for administrative duties and seasonal reinforcements—but have also warned against creating false expectations around the potential establishment of a National Police station.
During a recent plenary session, Socialist spokesperson Bárbara Soler reminded the council that under Spanish law, responsibility for public security cannot be shared between two national forces in the same municipality. If Torrevieja were formally assigned to the Policía Nacional, the Guardia Civil would be withdrawn from public order duties, remaining only for specialised roles such as environmental protection (SEPRONA) and traffic enforcement.
Soler accused the local Partido Popular (PP) of “failing to explain this key detail,” stating that “they present the creation of a Policía Nacional station as a win, without acknowledging that it would mean losing our current Guardia Civil presence—many of whom have served here for years and are deeply rooted in our community.”
Recalling the town’s past debates on the issue, Soler noted that up until 2004, the PP supported boosting Guardia Civil staffing, only changing its position following a spike in serious crime and public outcry. A project for a Policía Nacional station was eventually drafted in 2005 but stalled due to deficiencies in the submission and was later shelved during the 2009 economic crisis. Despite governing at the local, regional and national level in subsequent years, the PP never revived the plan.
Soler also highlighted that Torrevieja currently hosts the largest Guardia Civil post in all of Spain, with continued reinforcements. She added that demands from the PP for at least 100 additional agents are politically unrealistic in the short term and serve more as a talking point than a workable proposal.
National staffing levels for both Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional reached a record 156,463 officers in December 2024, according to Interior Ministry data. This follows five consecutive years of above‑100% public sector recruitment rates and the recovery of 14,381 officer positions lost between 2012 and 2017, a period governed by the PP.
The PSOE expressed gratitude to Spain’s law enforcement personnel for their ongoing service and condemned recent violent attacks against them in the strongest terms.
Soler closed her remarks by rejecting attempts from “certain sectors” to link immigration with crime, calling it a harmful and politically motivated narrative. “Most migrants contribute far more to society than they receive,” she said.
