Residents and hoteliers in Playa de Palma fear this summer will be "horrific". Their anxieties stem from the fact that the town hall has not approved the new civic behaviour bylaw, which should give the local police the tools needed to ensure safety and security in the resorts.
At a press conference of residents and business representatives, José Antonio Fernández Alarcón, the vice-president of the hoteliers association, criticised the fact that the season has already started but the bylaw is not in place. Meanwhile, neighbouring municipalities have established their own. "All the bad guys are going to come to Playa de Palma because Calvia and Llucmajor have bylaws and we have a legal vacuum."
Ana Rodríguez, president of the Playa de Palma anti-deliquency platform, echoed this point. They are still waiting for ordinance promised by the public safety department. For this reason, this summer will be more horrific than previous ones. In addition, she stressed the fact that 38% of municipal revenue comes from Playa de Palma, where some 50,000 residents suffer because of a lack of security, maintenance and cleaning.
Biel Barceló of the Ciutat de S'Arenal association denounced the lack of respect shown by politicians and stated that the town hall is unaware of realities in Playa de Palma. "We were promised the bylaw before the season and, once again, the promise has been broken." He was also critical of Llucmajor town hall and wondered if either Llucmajor or Palma is capable of managing the area. "Or do we have to look for a formula that will allow us to manage it from here?"
The president of the Playa-S'Arenal residents association, Francisco Nogales, observed that last summer the police didn't have the means to tackle vandalism. "It is a major concern that the administration has not reached agreement on the bylaw that we need." Miquel Cañellas of the Sometimes residents association added that there is a lack of confidence in politicians and that Playa de Palma can be frightening in winter as well as in summer.
Protests against the situation in Playa de Palma are being considered.