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ARCHIVED - Fears over public safety due to police shortage in Alicante town
There are claims the safety of residents and officers "is at risk" due to a lack of police in San Vicente del Raspeig.
A political row has blown up over a shortage of police patrols in Alicante town, San Vicente del Raspeig, where it's claimed just two officers patrol the municipality, which has a population of 60,000.
The Citizens (Ciudadanos) party has denounced the "lack of personnel" which it says puts both "the safety of residents and neighbours themselves at risk".
According to councillor Mariela Torregrosa, "in recent weeks there have been days in which there was only one operational patrol", and she warns that "it is impossible to adequately meet the needs of a population like that of San Vicente with the current Local Police staff".
This shortage, she says, often leads to situations such as "not being able to attend two incidents that occur simultaneously or where one patrol attends a fight or robbery without the possibility of any support".
But San Vicente's councillor for security, José Manuel Ferrándiz (PSOE party), categorically refutes the claims, and assures that there have always been two pairs of officers patrolling the streets and that "there has been no such lack of police".
For the last two years, Ciudadanos has been demanding that the local government prioritise the strengthening of the Local Police of San Vicente with new recruits, pointing out there are 16 positions included in the public job offers of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 waiting for approval.
Eight of these were recently approved, but the "slow process" means "it could take several years" for the positions to be filled.
IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de San Vicente del Raspeig