A number of the 40 officers currently undergoing training at the Santa Cruz Local Police since 9th November do not possess portable radio systems or are reliant on outdated equipment to report incidents occurring on public thoroughfares, necessitating the use of their mobile phones for emergency notifications.
Yesterday, CSIF highlighted the “exposure to vulnerability” faced by these officers, noting that “a local police officer in possession of the role would not operate on the streets without a radio, as it enables immediate communication, rather than relying on a personal phone, as the trainees are presently doing by calling 092 like any ordinary citizen, which results in unnecessary waiting and delays,” explained union representative Jesús Illada.
In response, the Councilor for Security, Gladis de León (CC), acknowledged that “there are only a handful of trainee officers patrolling without a radio, whilst the remainder are equipped with older models. This situation will soon be rectified, as 50 new radios, which the City Council has procured for the Local Police, are on the verge of arrival.”
The mayor further stated that “these new radios were ordered last July, but during the interim, the General Directorate of Security has been approached to lend additional radios to furnish the officers with the necessary tools for their duties.”
CSIF has also called for the “immediate cessation” of police trainees’ activities on public streets until they are allocated portable radio systems, a request the councillor dismissed, insisting that “the matter will be resolved shortly.”
