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28TH JANUARY- 3RD FEBRUARY 2020 - EDITION 823
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New beach police force T
he summer months bring an influx of visitors to the coast and along with the increase in population comes an increase in related crime and safety issues. To ensure this summer is as hassle free as possible, Orihuela Town Hall is hiring 12 temporary police officers to heighten police presence in Orihuela Costa from May to December. Six of the twelve of these officers will be specifically attached to Orihuela Costa (the others patrolling other areas of the municipality). Those put on beach patrols will be given bicycles to make their rounds and will be particularly focused on unlicensed and illegal sellers on the beaches and also on the pavements and beachfront promenades. Using bicycles allows officers to move more easily, especially at the beach, and allows greater contact with people, giving greater proximity which is a key aim of the unit. The urbanisations of the Orihuela coast will also have greater police surveillance this summer as the
Department of Public Safety plans to create a more visible police presence generally to improve safety and security. Ramรณn Lรณpez, Councillor for Citizen Security explained that the additional officers will aim to bring the Police force closer to the community. Their role will be to prevent theft and robbery with their presence also acting as a deterrent. They will also clamp down on the sale of food and drink without permission, as well as the beach masseurs that are regularly seen on Orihuela Costa beaches throughout the tourist season. Counterfeit clamp down However, the main objective of the officers will be to tackle and reduce the Continued on page 2
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