Jesús Herranz Torrubia, the chief of the National Police in the Basque Country, is retiring after 44 years of service, with the last five spent in Euskadi. Born 65 years ago in El Pobo de Dueñas, a small village in Guadalajara, he graduated in 1981. His first assignments were in San Sebastián and Bilbao during tumultuous years marked by ETA terrorism and industrial restructuring.
Herranz recalls that at that time, they had public order responsibilities, and the Euskalduna bridge was constantly blocked by demonstrations. «It was a turbulent period, mainly due to ETA, but also because of industrial reconversion. We suffered a lot, but we did our job. We must have contributed something to the democracy we enjoy today,» he states. Throughout his career, he has served in 13 different locations, allowing him to become familiar with Spanish geography, always in freely appointed positions, independent of political parties.
“"Citizens don't care about the color of the uniform when they are in an emergency. What they want is to receive a service."
Upon his return to Euskadi, free from terrorist pressure, he described the change as «brutal.» «For me, it has been paradise. The dirty, smoke-filled Bilbao I left no longer exists. Even the weather has changed; it's sunny almost all the time,» he commented. In recent years, he has been able to walk the streets peacefully, unlike in the past when he felt constantly watched.
His assessment is positive, having achieved greater visibility for the National Police through events in Indautxu square and a tribute in Vitoria for the Police's bicentennial, commemorating 114 fallen officers. However, one regret remains: the full normalization of the National Police's presence on the streets of the Basque Country. «Public safety competencies are not ours, but full normalization has not been achieved,» he added.
Herranz emphasizes that crime knows no borders and that the presence of the National Police and Guardia Civil is necessary to ensure information and coordination. He states that coordination with the Ertzaintza is good on a personal level, but political issues complicate matters. At his farewell, the head of the Ertzaintza, Josu Bujanda, and the territorial chief of Bizkaia, Luken Cerro, were present.
