The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), accompanied by the councillor for Security, Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson (Vox), announced last Thursday 1st from the Town Hall that on July 25th a document was sent to the Ministry of Interior and the Government Sub-delegation in Malaga requesting an increase in the number of Civil Guard officers in the municipality. In addition, the letter asks for an increase in material resources and infrastructure, such as a new post, to respond and meet the reality of the municipality.
The mayoress explained that the population in Mijas has tripled since 1996, reaching more than 95,000 inhabitants, according to the existing register in the statistics area of the Town Hall. To these must be added residential tourism, which means a high number of national and foreign visitors who are not registered. “We need to reinforce such an important body as the Civil Guard, because the current officers are insufficient to deal with everything that happens in our municipality. It is only fair that Mijas, like the rest of the municipalities that comprise the Costa del Sol, has what it deserves according to its population; we don’t want to be over them, but neither below. With this letter, we are reaching out to the Ministry of Interior to take action on an issue as important as this”, explained the mayoress.
Mijas has a surface area of 150 square kilometres, which makes it one of the most extensive towns in the province. In the municipality there are urban, rural, coastal areas that “need the attention of both the Civil Guard and the Local Police”, according to the Town Hall. However, despite this situation, the number of Civil Guard officers is 150, which is why the councillor for Security pointed out that the town is “under-staffed”, especially when compared to other municipalities in the area with smaller populations and geographically less diverse. “We have relatively few officers in relation to the volume of our population. We are the third largest municipality in the province, but this is not reflected in the number of officers. The comparison is very simple: in 10 km2 and with a smaller population than Mijas, Fuengirola, with more than 85,000 inhabitants, has 300 national police officers. It is not logical considering the numbers and the kilometres. Therefore, we believe that Mijas does not have sufficient resources and we have informed the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, because a response is needed now”, said Cuevas Dawson.
In addition, the councillor explained that Marbella has more than 400 national police officers for a population of more than 156,000 inhabitants.
“Neither”, as the councillor warned and municipal sources pointed out, reinforcements have not been received, so far, from the Grupo de Reserva y Seguridad (GRS) and the Grupo de Acción Rápida (GAR). “The work of the Civil Guard in Mijas is exemplary, but it is undeniable that they do not have the necessary human and material resources. Its particular geography makes it more than necessary for the Civil Guard to be well equipped, a significant increase in its resources is urgently needed”, added Cuevas.
Regarding infrastructures, both the mayoress and the councillor recalled that for years, land has been at the disposal of the Government for the creation of a new main post for the Civil Guard, as the current barracks, according to municipal sources, “is obsolete and lack of space for the officers to live in”.
Calls to the Local Police
During his intervention, the councillor reported that the Mijas Local Police receives “daily” calls from the Civil Guard requesting collaboration “due to the lack of means” to attend to emergencies: “In addition to this request for assistance, only from January to July 2024, our switchboard has dealt with 2,400 more calls than in the same period on the previous year. This increase in the demand for services demonstrates the imperative need to reinforce the number of Civil Guard officers in our municipality”.
“We are talking about an issue as important as security, so we hope that the Ministry of Interior is aware that the situation in Mijas is not the same as it was thirty years ago. In addition, the officers who serve in our municipality deserve to have the best services and facilities, so we are willing to cede the land for this much needed new barracks”, concluded the mayoress.
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