Over the next few months, the number of members of the local police in Palma’s key resorts will be increased from 35 to 92, the outgoing mayor, José Hila announced yesterday.
Hila was visiting the police summer force and applauded them for all their hard work and explained that one of his promises as mayor was to increase summer security every year. The city's councillor for public safety, Angelica Pastor, explained that the number of officers has been increased in order to handle and ensure the safety of the ever increasing number of holidaymakers coming to Palma’s resorts.
Pastor added that the extra policemen and women will mean there will be teams of four and eight on the beat around the clock in the city and along Playa de Palma, which has become a conflict zone over the past few summers. Another new development is that members of the summer force can volunteer for extra shifts.
Much of the attention is going to be on Playa de Palma, where resident and business associations have already complained to the town hall that nothing has changed and that the situation of insecurity is just as bad as last year.
Pastor yesterday stressed that the police have targeted a number of key areas and are going to be cracking down on drinking in the street, illegal street traders, ticket touts, pickpockets and other problems the resort faces during the summer.
Hila said that, if and when needed, the number of police on the beat will be increased, especially in the city centre, in order to reduce the stress on the capital and its residents.