BALEARIC Interior Minister, José María Rodríguez, confirmed yesterday that his department will allocate 2.9 million euros to reinforcing local police staffing levels.
Appearing yesterday before a Tax and Budget parliamentary commission, Rodriguez said that part of these funds will go towards the training and mobilisation of 100 tourist police officers who will be incorporated into municipal police services.
The minister was explaining how 27.9 million euros, to be granted his Balearic Interior department under the 2005 budget, was to be used for public funding. The figure represents an increase of 26.4 percent over and above last year's budget.
Rodriguez was confident that with this financing, he will be able to double the present staffing levels of the Tourist Police and aims to have 400 officers in this section, out on the beat by the end of the present government's term of office.
Shortfalls in other areas of local policing are at their most noticeable during the high tourist season when the population of the Islands undergo seasonal swell. The increase in the number of tourist police officers aims to relieve sections of the police force which would otherwise be overstretched at this time of year.
Speaking about the future in response to questioning from Opposition parties, the minister said that if the Balearics are permitted to set up a regional police force, the Tourist Police service in its present form will eventually not be necessary.
With 5.5 million euros being allocated to the Emergency directorate, a section of the Interior ministry, Rodriguez also announced that the 112 emergency service will be given a new central office in the Ministry and that equipment currently used by them, dating from 1995, will be modernised.