From the initial traffic management officials standing on a pedestal in an era when Santa Cruz had no traffic signals to the modern integration of drones passing by that infamous van known as María la Chivata, a significant transformation has occurred. The Santa Cruz Local Police celebrated its 185th anniversary this Friday, prompting the Chicharrero City Council to arrange a year-long programme of activities, with the highlight set for May in honour of the patron saint of the force, the Virgin of Fátima.
The origins can be traced back to January 10, 1840, when the City Council established two police corporal roles because the judge denied the mayor, Bartolomé Cifra, additional bailiffs. Shortly after, Juan Rodríguez and Agustín Basques were appointed to these roles with a wage of ninety reales de vellón each.
Santa Cruz was markedly different from what it is today, with over a decade passing after the formation of the police force before the first traffic light was installed at the intersection of Valentín Sanz and Castillo streets.
A historical photograph of a local police officer monitoring traffic from a pedestal, adjacent to the Our Lady of Africa Market. / The Day
Tenerife journalist Gilberto Alemán (La Laguna, 1931–Santa Cruz, 2011) reflects on these beginnings in an article titled From Old Guard to New Cop: «The old municipal guard, dragging his sword over the cobbles, remains a vivid memory for those of my generation. He was an observant guardian of community life, and since significant disturbances on public roads were rare, the regulations were lenient. With very few vehicles on the streets, his primary concerns were attending to local funerals and chasing after children playing ball.
“In time,” Alemán continues, “as the world began to evolve, the police adapted. With their white gloves and colonial helmets, they started to direct traffic from stools donated by the Mercedes Benz company.
The journalist recalls another icon of the Santacrucera Local Police’s history: «During the Franco era, the Municipal Police instigated a repressive mechanism that my generation remembers with fear: Maria the Snitch».
Partially visible on the right, the well-known van referred to as ‘María la Chivata’. / The Day
Gilberto Alemán elucidates that «it was a vehicle patrol – a van that roamed the city to uphold a moral standard in public areas such as bars and boulevards. “With the aid of several motorcycles, the Police pursued cases like young couples engaged in public displays of affection.”
Santa Cruz’s official chronicler, José Manuel Ledesma, notes that this was a grey Citroën van, registration TF-7040. He recounts that during the plenary session on March 10, 1952, the municipal guard’s inspector, Fernández del Castillo, who put this vehicle on duty 24 hours, stated about this service: «This initiative seeks to cleanse the city of the vulgarities, rudeness, and unpleasant behaviours that frequently pollute the air and generate unsightly scenes, and to eliminate the disheartening sight of seeing the chilli dragging a drunkard towards the station.
In these statements, that mid-20th-century councillor recalls the term that has historically been used to refer to members of the force: chillies. Although presently seen as a derogatory expression – the force itself now deems it “disrespectful” – initially, it was viewed as a term of endearment.
The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, reviews the Local Police last year during the celebrations for the security force’s day. / The Day
The most widely accepted theory regarding its origin suggests that it derives from the two red stripes found on the sides of the official uniform trousers. Nowadays, the municipal security personnel, like other local forces, wear blue, and their trousers no longer feature stripes.
The present Government of Santa Cruz has yet to announce this year’s events for the anniversary celebrations. They only previewed, in a statement, that the activities will be “highly participative”, featuring exhibitions from various sections including traffic units, the canine unit, and the preventive work of Attestados. A display of the recently established drone unit, which commenced operations in September of last year, is also under consideration.
From these two corporals, the team has expanded to 321 agents, plus 40 in training, under the leadership of commissioner Juan Francisco Márquez. According to the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, the Local Police of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is “one of the most adept and well-trained in the entire Canary Islands.” “We possess professionals who are recognised in numerous police specialties, and equally important is how our agents have consistently demonstrated their competence in the face of any accident, incident, or emergency,” he emphasises.
The police headquarters initially resided on the ground floor of the City Hall.. It later moved to La Granja Park, then to the Recova Vieja, and subsequently to the old Nautical School. Gilberto Alemán specifies that in 1986 the “barracks” transitioned from the old Nautical School to its current location on Tres de Mayo Avenue. There are plans for it to relocate to the Urban Planning building in the medium to long-term future, very close to its current site on Tres de Mayo.
