Several officers from the Barakaldo Local Police have described the current management of the force as a "complete disaster," citing a severe shortage of resources over the past weekend. According to their statements, during some shifts, only a single patrol car was available to monitor and maintain security across the city's streets, meaning just two officers were on duty. This situation arises shortly after the start of the holiday period on June 1st, which has considerably reduced the number of available personnel. The current staff comprises 144 officers, with approximately 15 on sick leave. Additionally, about a dozen officers have limitations preventing them from patrolling on foot.
On Saturday, according to several officers who spoke to EL CORREO, there was only one patrol car available in the morning, "and five additional officers had to be called in as reinforcement." "A supervisor, a sub-officer, also had to come because none of the three commanding officers were present. The same happened on Sunday afternoon." They claim that on that final day of the weekend, an officer even had to leave the station to ensure a patrol car was operational. "Things are going from bad to worse. There is a huge lack of planning," they emphasize, noting the heavy workload they face, as "it's rare for a day to go by without several significant incidents." "We need many more people. On Saturday night, we had two arrests for gender-based violence. On Sunday afternoon, one for drunk driving and another for bicycle theft. It's a disgrace that we have to work under these conditions."
According to the officers, the usual practice is to have "about five patrol cars" on each shift, which they consider "very little for Barakaldo." With the current staffing levels, "reinforcements are made by working overtime." Some officers exceeded 200 overtime hours last year, "even though the agreement limits it to 80." "The City Council should spend money on creating more positions and hiring more people to provide a greater sense of security on the streets," they stress. "The town keeps growing, a lot is being built, but we police officers are fewer and fewer," they declare, highlighting that a third of the force consists of temporary staff. Furthermore, they reiterate their call for the promised expansion of the police force to 180 officers to meet the recommended ratio. "So far, they are just selling smoke because only one of the announced positions is new, that of commissioner, which is legally required, and the selection criteria have not yet been negotiated. The rest are to cover vacancies."
From the Citizen Security department of the Barakaldo City Council, managed by the PSE, they stated that the weekend's staffing levels met the ordinary requirements for the holiday period, reinforced by 22 officers "during the three work shifts," "to cover temporary incapacities and unforeseen leaves." Similar to the officers, they acknowledged that to provide better service, "it is essential that the staff is sized according to the needs of a city like Barakaldo, which would lead to an improvement in the service provided to citizens."
