Spanish Police and Guardia Civil. How do they Operate?


Spanish_PoliceWe have it easy in the UK. There is the Police and that’s about it (well, I know there are the Specials, but they aren’t a day to day force, and who actually knows what the Railway police look like?) However in Spain we have the Policia Local, the Policia National, the Guardia Civil, all the Autonomous Regions forces, the Portuario Police….. Shall I go on?

What’s the difference and who does what where? A difficult question as the demarcation between responsibilities seems to be very fluid. We will start with the Guardia Civil. This force has both military and civilian functions and was set up in 1844 by Queen Isabel the Second. Their responsibilities include borders (think of Gibraltar) rural areas and they have charge of most traffic activities (Guardia Civil Trafico). If there is an accident on the road or if road blocks are in place, the Guardia will be there.

The Guardia Civil were a much larger force during Franco´s regime and the old huge “cuartels”, barracks, can still be found, albeit in a derelict state, all over Andalucía. They acquired a reputation for brutality during this time which is only just fading. In fact, their symbol still includes the fasces (a bundle of sticks and an axe) which was a symbol of the Fascists of the time.

Now times are a-changing and more women have joined the force and the cuartels are smaller so they have recovered some of their respect, especially through the activities of some of their specialist units. Seprona, their environmental arm is widely respected in the countryside for their protection work and their bomb disposal unit also has an excellent reputation.

To add to the confusion the Guardia Civil is also known as “la Benemerita and “el instituto armado” especially in newspaper reports. And armed is the word! With their guns, handcuffs and rather imposing uniform they can be quite intimidating! However they certainly aren’t on their annual patron saint’s day, el Dia de Pilar, when every cuartel invites the local dignitaries and has a day long party! Do crime rates sore on this day?

The Policia Local on the other hand really is local. They only have jurisdiction in their Town Hall area and are, as often as not, local men and women. They are also armed to the teeth and as a UK citizen I still find it very odd to see armed police helping children across the street outside schools! Their duties, apart from the aforementioned school one, include local crime and domestic violence, collecting town hall type fees (e.g., from weekly market stall holders), local traffic control, concert and events control.

They also assist the Guardia Civil especially in the fight against drug trafficking and dealing. The local police are often assisted by a corps of vigilantes who wear a similar uniform but have no guns. These are often seen patrolling the streets in pairs. Local police, nowadays, have to have the equivalent of A levels to join and also undergo a very thorough training course after which they sit competitive exams. But it’s a job for life!

The Policia Nacional is countrywide however, and deals with urban areas. They are under the control of Central Government and have responsibility for criminal, terrorism, immigration and judicial matters. At the moment terrorism and immigration are expanding parts of their day to day role with the horrific activities of Al Qaeda and the large number of immigrants landing virtually every day.


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