The Local Police of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has stopped carrying out surveillance work on Las Teresitas beach since last December 1, following the order issued by the capital’s City Council and signed by the acting commissioner, Juan Francisco Márquez. Communiqué by which municipal agents assigned to said service are urged to join their respective operational groups and which has received criticism from police unions and the socialist opposition group.
The Councilor for Security of the Capital Corporation, Gladis de León, explained that this measure is due to the fact that “the summer device has already been terminated upon entering the winter season, despite the fact that even this year this police reinforcement in “The beach has been extended until December 1, when it normally ends in September.”
De León indicated that “the police officers assigned to the surveillance service in Las Teresitas now begin to add to the Christmas and Carnival device, which does not mean that if there is an alert situation due to high temperatures, the beach will once again be provided with a device.” special. In addition, the usual patrolling of the area by the group on duty is maintained,” he commented.
The beach police surveillance service began to be provided on March 3 “on a permanent basis in Las Teresitas”, as specified in the order issued by the City Council dated March 1, 2023. It indicates that This device “will be carried out by a patrol in each operational group, preferably made up of police officers who have the regulatory beach uniformity, in such a way that when there is a large influx, either during the week or on weekends, they can provide the service inside.” from the beach and another patrol will reinforce the area.”
A measure that was decided to remain fixed due to the increase in robberies in the area and because on said capital beach, which has its own regulations, no one else can carry out surveillance functions except authorized and properly uniformed agents, with sports shoes and shorts.
The CSIF delegate in the Local Police, Jesús Illada, rejected the decision to suppress this service, which, in his opinion, is not justified by the lack of personnel: “If there are 40 agents on average in Santa Cruz, it is not a problem to allocate two fixed ones to watch the beach. Furthermore, we are tired of the fact that when the device is not active, if we have to go to Las Teresitas for an emergency, we have to go at full speed on the highway, putting our lives in danger. “What does not happen with the fixed beach service.”
Illada recalled that “thanks to the presence of police in Las Teresitas, last May the life of a woman who was on the verge of drowning was saved, apart from the fact that the agents also control the pickpockets or ensure that the prohibition is followed. “smoking in the sand.”
For his part, socialist councilor Florentino Guzmán also criticized the municipal decision through his official X account, indicating that “the palm trees will be the new watchmen on the beach.”
