THE Seville local police It must “cover more than 3,000 demonstrations (annual) with a reduced staff, which does not reach 800 street staff”. This was one of the opinions of the agents’ union representatives during their recent congress. … press by the conflict born from their initial refusal of the Christmas Plan promoted by the Town Hallwhich should approve the document with its overtime in a plenary session to be held on the 18th. In this way, its entry into force would take place the next day, once the negotiating table finally approves the document with the sole support of the Professional Union of Municipal Police of Spain (Sppme), the majority union force in the body.
The mention also returns this Christmas weekend, once again marked by the absences of agents on special shifts while waiting for the Christmas Plan to come into effect and the multitude of events and public activities that the city is hosting. A situation which involves a significant police deployment in a context where andthe rise of shows and events This hardly corresponds to the structural deficit of troops that the local police have suffered for years and years.
To do this, simply look at requests for police coverage sent this weekend by the Operational Coordination Center (Cecop) of the Seville City Hall and the Local Police Headquarters. And beyond events like today’s match between Sevilla FC and Real Oviedo at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjúan stadium, the transfer of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the Sagrario church (suspended by the Brotherhood of Waters for lack of “adequate conditions of public security”), or the Rosary of the Virgin of Hope of the Brotherhood of the Trinity modified for the same reason; Requests for police coverage of a very diverse nature weighed on the table this weekend.
More than fifty events were planned for this weekend and some had to be modified or even suspended due to lack of law enforcement.
For example, we talk about other religious acts, union or political mobilizations, a craft market in Mirafloresa charanga with a parade in the North District, a zambomba in Cerro-Amate, another in Los Remedios, an art exhibition in Seville East, a children’s solidarity party in this same neighborhood, health information tables in Nervión or a real postman in a neighborhood in the South District. Also a Christmas event with a Santa and an elf in the Bellavista-La Palmera neighborhood, a charity market in the South Quarter, a new parade in Seville Easta school sports day in Miraflores Park, another zambomba in the Old Town, a parade also in the Center and another royal postman in Nervión, among others.
Other events also moved to Cecop for this weekend were a Christmas gymkhana in Nervión, a neighborhood day in the historic center and another zambomba in the San Pablo-Santa Justa neighborhood. Of course, for many of these events, full police coverage as such was not required, but rather momentary visits by officers to verify that the activities were taking place with all guarantees, according to police sources.
Analysis of requests
Seville City Hall also explains that, in response to requests for police coverage in terms of mobility or prevention, it is decided taking into account the size of the event, its coincidence with other more relevant events or the number of agents available for the necessary deployments. After this analysis, Cecop management informs the Local Police Prefecture of the events to which the available troops must be assigned each day.
In all cases, the Town Hall offers event promoters alternatives such as redirect activity to pedestrian or indoor areas If it is not possible to guarantee troop assistance. Finally, it is the entities that promote the activities that decide if they adapt the event to the circumstances, if police coverage is not guaranteed, or if they choose to cancel or postpone it, according to the Town Hall.
It is worth remembering, once again, that the budget of the Seville City Council for this year, already dying, had more than 17 million euros for payment of overtime for Local Police officers for special displays linked to events, shows and activities on public roads. The aforementioned budget item, the most important dedicated to this concept in the history of the Consistory, according to the local government of José Luis Sanz, It was already sold out in May. In other words, despite the increase in funds for agent overtime for special events arrangements, these 17 million euros did not even cover the first half of the year, due to the large number of activities.
5.6 million in overtime
In this sense, The Christmas Plan designed by the Town Hall was in its initial design to inject 5.6 million euross more for agents’ overtime, within the limits set by the General Intervention of the Consistory itself in light of the evolution of expenses in this area. After the initial conflict, with the refusal of police unions to support the document and the mass absence of officers from the special teams issued so far, When the plan finally goes into effect on December 19, it should require less budgetsince most of the extraordinary services established so far have not been fulfilled, a matter that staff must duly justify before the City Council.
Police unions, moreover,they claimedFaced with this problem, “tax rates” to raise funds to fund necessary security deployments related to large public events. “Imposing a per-event fee will not have a direct impact on the Corps, but it would serve to limit the possibility for two people to make a procession“, explained for example Luis Val, leader of Spppme, the majority union of the local police in Seville.
Months ago, let’s remember, Mayor José Luis Sanz publicly chose to implement a casual licensing rate of events to resolve this situation, while specifying that this would not apply to brotherhoods or activities with a charitable or solidarity purpose. This, in practice, concerns the majority of those who monopolize public events organized in the city.
About The Author
