Suspicions over local police recruitment process
Allegations of nepotism reported in Alicante city
ALICANTE city hall will launch an investigation ‘to get to the bottom of’ possible irregularities in the selection process for the municipality’s local police force, following the publication of allegations by anonymous candidates.
These sources claimed that over 60 of 92 candidates selected, out of more than 1,500 who applied, have some kind of ‘direct connection’ with police officers, politicians, companies contracted by the council or unions, reported Cadena SER radio.
“No effort will be spared to clear up every aspect related to this procedure,” said councillor for security and human resources, José Ramón González.
He did not rule out provisionally suspending the process, should any irregularity be found, insisting that the council ‘will not allow any shred of doubt to be left in the air that this selection process was clean’. The selection tribunal is ‘free and sovereign’, with full control over the entire process, the council assured.
The tribunal is made up of the chiefs of Alicante local police and Xátiva forces, a council worker and three speakers, two designated by the regional security institute (Ivaspe) and the chief of Xàtiva local police.
Unions consulted by EFE said they were unaware of these possible irregularities but were now studying what measures they may take.
Officers, commanders and unions consulted by Cadena SER found it surprising that
two thirds of the highest scoring candidates were connected in this way, and therefore had doubts the process was clean.
The anonymous sources, who said they feared reprisals, claimed the 92 selected to join the local police, out of 143 who passed the process, included 34 children or relatives of an officer, senior officer or commander on the Alicante force, including two children of the same officer.
Indeed the highest scoring 20 all had connections of some kind, and some of the exam questions were ‘inappropriate’ as candidates ‘would have to have known about them (in advance) or they would not have known the answers’.
Most of those who passed also went to the same training academy, they added.