Local Police vehicle heavily vandalised in the centre of Benferri

Local police car vandalised in Benferri town centre, leaving the vehicle with smashed windows, a broken mirror, and black spray paint across its bodywork.

A local police car in Benferri was found severely damaged over the weekend where officers usually park it in the town centre. The vehicle suffered broken windows, damage to a wing mirror, and numerous black spray-paint markings across much of the bodywork.

The investigation has been placed in the hands of the Guardia Civil Judicial Police team from Callosa de Segura. At present, the Town Hall states that there is no evidence to identify the culprits. The attack has caused particular shock in Benferri, a municipality of 2,099 residents where incidents of this nature are unusual. The Mayor, Luis Vicente Mateo, acknowledged yesterday, Tuesday 29th September, that the scale of the damage surprised him when he saw the vehicle.

Photographs show the intensity of the attack. The side of the police car is covered in large strokes of black paint reaching the doors, wings, and other areas of the bodywork. One of the side windows is completely shattered, and another has a wide hole, while the windscreen has a heavy impact with cracked glass. Shards of glass remained on the ground. Mateo added that the damage included a broken wing mirror and considers, based on the state of the vehicle, that those who acted may have used some kind of tool, although this circumstance must be determined by the investigation.

The time frame of the attack also coincides with the period when Benferri lacks a Local Police service. The mayor explains that the officers finished their shift at midnight and that the municipality cannot maintain its own police surveillance between midnight and seven in the morning. Some neighbours later reported that at around 05:30 they heard a loud noise, but none went out to check what was happening.

The Local Police staff consists of only three officers: a young female officer and two veteran police officers who have worked in the municipality for years. At weekends their shifts run until midnight. Outside those hours, security incidents are handled by the Guardia Civil. Officers from Callosa arrived quickly when notified of the events.

The Town Hall does not yet have elements to explain the motive for the attack. Mateo insisted that they have no clues about anything and that it cannot be assured that those responsible are neighbours of Benferri. The Judicial Police are trying to gather images from CCTV cameras on nearby streets or areas that may have recorded movements related to the events. There were no cameras at the specific spot where the vehicle was parked.

Among the hypotheses that Mateo considers possible is that the attack could be related to a previous action by the Local Police. The mayor suggests, purely as an example, that an officer might have issued a fine to someone who subsequently reacted in this way. He insisted that there is nothing concrete. The Local Police, he maintains, have to fulfil their obligation and certain interventions may not sit well with some people.

Mateo explains that, with the car covered in paint and the windows shattered, the image reminded him of scenes of street violence seen years ago in the Basque Country. When he saw it, he was stunned, he recounts. The mayor contrasts what happened with minor acts of vandalism that can occasionally occur in any town, such as motorcycle noise or other pranks. What he considers exceptional is that someone would act with such intensity directly against a police vehicle in a quiet, small-scale village.

The damage has not yet been financially evaluated. The Town Hall even doubts whether repairing the car will be profitable due to its age. Insurance would cover part of the broken windows, but not the entirety of the damage. After discussing the matter with the municipal secretary and the officers, the council is evaluating different alternatives.

Benferri has another municipal vehicle that could be conditioned to temporarily provide police service. At the same time, the Town Hall has located a company that rents vehicles prepared for the Local Police and is studying using this formula while deciding whether to acquire a new car.