Officer shortage shuts police station overnight

6,000 residents in Gata de Gorgos left without local police protection

ALARM has broken out in Gata de Gorgos now that the Local Police station has started closing overnight due to a shortage of officers, leaving the town’s 6,000 inhabitants with no protection.

As well as fighting crime, local police are nearly always the first on the scene whenever an emergency call is logged, since they can often start fighting a fire or begin life-saving first aid – especially as they are normally equipped with defibrillators – whilst awaiting the fire brigade or ambulance.

Their presence means any delay in paramedics or firefighters arriving is less serious, and as every town with its own council has a local police force, officers are typically just around the corner from any incident.

But with three of its 13 policemen and women off sick, and one having just retired, they are stretched so thinly that not enough are on hand to ensure sufficient cover for every shift.

Several officers have not been paid for special services or overtime in more than a year, and others have been waiting at least two years just to get a uniform.

In some cases, late shifts are manned by just one officer at a time.

The station shut overnight for the first time on Thursday, February 7, reopening on Friday morning – but this is unlikely to be the last time, and the force warned it could happen again before the week was out.

No additional officers are likely to be taken on, since the council claims ‘the law does not allow’ for new vacancies to be opened.

Mayoress Magda Mengual (Compromís) has been told ‘numerous times’ about the issues, says the force, but the local government ‘has never reached an agreement’ on how to solve them.

“We’re talking about a basic essential service for residents,” complains a spokesperson for the local police.

“What happened last Thursday must never be allowed to recur.”

But further shutdowns are expected before February is out.