The association representing the head of Tacoronte’s Local Police, along with the legal team representing him, is contemplating the possibility of taking legal action against the mayor of the town. This action would be in response to his dismissal from the position and the introduction of a rotational system where a new officer takes over the leadership of the police force every five months. The City Council contends that its actions were supported by municipal technical experts throughout.
The alternative solution proposed by the mayor came after the abrupt removal of Medina. The mayor alleged that Sandra Izquierdo (PSOE) wanted to rectify an “irregularity”. Consequently, a shift system was introduced, forcing Medina to alternate his position with another officer who is currently the partner of the first deputy mayor, Noemí García (CC). The appointment was recently invalidated by municipal technical services.
A technical report upheld the appeal filed by Medina, acknowledging the legal concerns raised. It declared the dismissal decrees and appointments as void and ordered a reversal of the actions to the situation before their issuance.
As a result, after serving for 7 years, Medina has been reinstated to his position. The union supporting him and his legal team have indicated their intent to investigate potential wrongdoings in the process, including personal and professional attacks suffered by the police officer. They are considering legal action to prosecute a possible case of misconduct, arguing that the mayor’s changes were unlawful from the outset.
This standpoint is also shared by UNIJEPOL, an organization representing local police chiefs nationwide. They had warned municipal authorities about the irregularities in the actions taken against Gabriel Medina, suggesting the need to involve judicial authorities to clarify any legal uncertainties. AJESPOL highlighted the importance of direct court intervention to investigate potential criminal activities by those responsible for the dismissal and appointment decrees.
The union representatives have pointed out that both Sandra Izquierdo and the Councilor for Security and Local Police, Vanesa Luis-Ravelo (CC), publicly claimed that the former Chief of Police’s situation was illegal. It was noted that during the years of Medina’s service, no call for the position of sub-inspector or inspector was made, despite his repeated requests for convocation on 11 occasions going unanswered.
In the current term, a coalition government composed of PSOE, CC, and PP has brought a new focus on appointing the partner of the first deputy mayor as the new head of Local Police. The candidate from CC stated that prioritizing his partner for the role was part of the mandate agreements, disregarding the experience of other candidates from Tacoronte.
The reinstatement and subsequent appointment of the officer have been widely criticized as an unfair attack on both the individual and municipal staff. The decision was backed by the CSIF union representative in the council who supported the dismissal of the Police Chief based on the assumption that his position was illegal, a stance also echoed by the mayor and the Councilor for Security. The CSIF delegate cited the Local Police Coordination Law, arguing that a temporary appointment should not extend beyond two years without a confirmed recruitment process, which was not initiated in this case.
Moreover, this measure triggers clause 9 of a framework agreement, operational between 2003 and 2006, now annulled. This clause states that it can be applied to public administration officials when the position is not filled, a scenario which, as per Gabriel Medina’s representatives, does not align with the role of the Local Police, as clarified by the police officer’s defence.
“The mayor’s reaction has been to replace the temporary official with another officer who had recently joined, via a decree rife with mistakes and inaccuracies, driven by governmental pact agreements rather than seeking to resolve the Police leadership crisis,” as highlighted by CSIF. The legal team representing the affected individual points out that the focus should be on “the mayor, Sandra Izquierdo, who not only deceives but also fails to fulfil her commitments, such as her public announcement that the position would be filled within 4 months”, along with the councillor of the area who endorsed a decision impacting the then Chief of Police.
Confronted with this situation and the ensuing harm, the affected party has declared their intent to pursue all available avenues to seek reparation for the Local Police chief, “be it due to emotional distress, damage to reputation, impact on their family, or for knowingly taking actions contrary to existing legislation.”
It is a dismissal “without regard or prior discussion, apart from mentioning that each person would hold the post for 5 months, even though the officer designated to share the role with Gabriel Medina was on assignment in Tacoronte with a set period that had expired back in February, highlighting another irregularity in this entire process.”
Gabriel Medina’s legal representatives have formally requested the documentation to ascertain the current status of the officer who had applied for the position, as they suggest, “there are valid concerns regarding this individual’s compliance with regulations, given that they arrived on a temporary basis that lapsed three months ago.”
Defence of City Council’s Actions
The Tacoronte Government responded on Monday by defending the model implemented months ago for the leadership of the Local Police Forces, established to ensure “equal conditions” by rotating the position of interim chief officer every five months. They also state that the process endorsed by the local administration “received technical approval from the Council, supported by favourable reports that facilitated the introduction of a new rotational system within the Police Headquarters until the permanent position was filled.”
The Government group affirms its “respect for possible administrative and legal actions” that may ensue from individuals involved in this case, whilst emphasising that they have consistently adhered to the law, prioritising public interest over partisan or personal motives to favour one party over another.
Furthermore, the City Council claims that “the signed decree has no connection to the agreements made for governing the city” and maintains that “there was no falsehood or malintent, but a focus on stability and certainty for the Local Police, creating fair and unbiased opportunities based on the current roles within the municipal force.”
Lastly, local authorities are willing to engage in discussions to reach an agreement between the involved parties, facilitating a swift resolution to this situation.
