Responding to questions in Parliament relating to the number of National Police reinforcements provided to the coastal town of Benidorm during the summer, the government has had to admit that they did not provide anywhere near the promised amount for the entire Alicante province.
Benidorm alone had been promised an increase of between 20 and 25 officers, but the reality was that there were only a total of 14 additional police officers provided for the entire area, including the city centres and other tourist rich areas.
The government has branded the lack of resources as an “error”, with opposition groups complaining that security in tourist areas is paramount in order to make visitors feel safe and subsequently return to their chosen destinations again.
Meanwhile, Elche town hall has announced that they intend to create a new branch of the local police who will focus on tourist areas, namely El Altet, Torrellano and La Marina. The new group would have a permanent location at the main tourist sites and would focus on problems that plague these areas, such as peddling and petty theft.
