Santa Cruz needs more local police officers

Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s city government used this year’s Local Police patron saint celebration to press again for a larger municipal force. At the May 13 ceremony, city officials said the service is handling an average of 235 calls a day through its communications center and argued that staffing needs to rise to preserve response capacity. The event also doubled as a recognition ceremony, with the force awarding 46 silver merit medals and one gold medal. City Hall linked the honors to a broader account of workload, public demand and the need to reinforce the corps. ### Why are city officials saying the force needs reinforcement now? The May 13 municipal statement tied the staffing argument directly to operational demand, saying the Local Police communications center records an average of 235 calls every day. City officials said that volume illustrates the pressure on officers assigned to routine policing, traffic and emergency response in the capital. (santacruzdetenerife.es) José Manuel Bermúdez, the mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, said during the celebration that the city needs more officers to continue providing service to residents. The municipality’s own description of the force shows a structure that includes administrative, citizen-security and traffic units, along with tourist protection and district patrol functions across the city. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### What happened at the patron saint ceremony? The official ceremony on May 13 marked the feast of the Virgen de Fátima, patron saint of the Local Police in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The force awarded 46 silver medals and one gold medal, according to the city government, with the gold distinction going to inspector María Nieves González Martín after 40 years of service. (santacruzdetenerife.es) City Hall said the medals recognized distinguished service, exemplary conduct and long careers within the corps. The municipality said the gold medal was only the fourth such distinction awarded since 2014 under the force’s honors system. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### Who is making the case for more officers? José Manuel Bermúdez appeared at the event with city security officials and police leadership, according to the municipal account of the ceremony. The city’s earlier announcements for the annual police celebration have also identified the political and operational leadership around the force, including the security councillor and the police commissioner. (santacruzdetenerife.es) The municipality has made similar use of the annual celebration before to publish operating figures and highlight demands on the service. In 2025, City Hall said 58 medals and distinctions were awarded during the same patron saint observance, while a 2024 report in El Día used the event to detail enforcement and service data from the corps. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### Is Santa Cruz already adding officers? Santa Cruz has active recruitment and training channels, but officials indicate they are not enough to meet demand. El Día reported in November 2024 that 40 trainee officers had joined the Local Police, and in February 2025 it reported that 37 new officers in practical training received instruction for interventions at large public events. (santacruzdetenerife.es) The city also has a separate competitive process for 26 police posts. Santa Cruz’s electronic employment portal lists the selection process for 26 Local Police positions, with the file updated on April 29, 2026, indicating that the recruitment track remains one of the concrete mechanisms for expanding the force. ### What does the city say officers are being asked to handle? (eldia.es) Santa Cruz’s municipal police pages describe responsibilities that range from preventive public-safety patrols and intervention after offenses to traffic control, tourist protection and lost-property administration. Those duties are spread across district deployments and specialized units, according to the city website. (sede.santacruzdetenerife.es) The city’s argument is that call volume and those standing duties together justify a larger plantilla, or staffing roster. That conclusion is the municipality’s position, set out in its May 13 account of the celebration and in related public information about the service’s structure and recruitment. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### What comes next in practical terms? The most concrete next step is the 26-place recruitment process already listed on Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s municipal employment portal. The city has not, in the sources reviewed, published a new target headcount tied to the May 13 ceremony, but the open selection process and recent training cohorts provide the clearest near-term path for adding officers. (sede.santacruzdetenerife.es) (santacruzdetenerife.es)