A vehicle damaged by fire, which was used by the Local Police for accident investigations, has jeopardised the equipment used daily by officers, a situation denounced by the SPPLB, the main union of the Benidorm City Council. In addition to the loss of this vehicle, other precarious conditions of police equipment, such as the maritime surveillance inflatable boat, are also a problem. The officers themselves frequently repair punctures to be able to carry out their patrols. For this reason, they are requesting that the City Council address this deficit, after congratulating Mayor Toni Pérez on the municipal budget surplus, which they believe warrants at least some investment.
The union spokesperson in Benidorm, Francisco Ángel González, conveyed the organisation’s concern about an incident that, in his opinion, further exacerbates the deficiencies already affecting various police services. The loss of this vehicle, used by the Traffic Accident Investigation Unit, adds to other operational problems impacting the daily work of the staff.
Among these issues, the SPPLB points out that the other van assigned to the Traffic Accident Investigation Unit was awaiting engine repairs, while the van used for transporting and operating the police drone also remains out of service—two resources considered essential for carrying out various public safety functions. For this reason, the department will be forced to use another vehicle equipped with a breathalyser to perform some of the Traffic Accident Investigation Unit’s duties.
The union is also focusing on the Zodiac boat used for beach patrol. According to their complaint, its poor condition frequently forces the officers themselves to carry out temporary repairs to keep it operational, including fixing punctures, in order to guarantee service during the summer season. The union believes that these incidents reflect the need to increase investment in equipment for a city that receives millions of visitors each year and, due to its tourist scale, requires modern police resources in optimal working condition.
The SPPLB emphasises that it values the municipal economic management and the existence of a surplus in the City Council’s accounts, but understands that part of those resources should be allocated to improving the equipment and vehicle fleet of essential services, especially the Local Police.
The complaint also comes at a time when the Local Police Council is scheduled to address various issues related to the needs of the force and the conditions under which officers work. The union will present the identified deficiencies at this forum and demand solutions to prevent breakdowns and a lack of resources from affecting the service’s operational capacity. Therefore, the SPPLB requests that the City Council expedite the renewal, repair and provision of the necessary resources so that the Benidorm Local Police can continue to provide an effective and safe service to both residents and the millions of tourists who visit the city each year.
