Mar Menor police forces collaborate for summer tourism influx.

The population of the Mar Menor increases from 360,000 to over 800,000

The issue of citizen security and policing is a difficult one in coastal towns during the summer, and in the face of this problem five municipalities in the Mar Menor area are  to collaborate during the busy months ahead.

The population of San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, Torre Pacheco and Pilar de la Horadada (which is in the province of Alicante) is around 360,000 for most of the year, but during July and August it rises to over 800,000. The heads of citizen safety of all five municipalities are in charge of a total of 650 officers, and in a move which could serve as an example to other departments in Town Halls throughout the country they have decided to cut through the red tape and unite in order provide a more complete and efficient service for the summer.

San Javier councillor José Manuel Alarte cites the case of La Manga as a model to follow. On the strip there is always collaboration between the forces of law and order from the two Town Halls of San Javier and Cartagena, which helps to improve the traffic flow at rush hour and deal with emergencies, and he sees no reason why the same shouldn’t happen in other areas like El Mojón, which lies on the boundary between the municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar and Pilar de la Horadada.

All five councillors are pleased to confirm that in their respective departments of Citizen Security there have been no cutbacks in spending, and that they have at least as many resources at their disposal as last year. At the moment it is foreseen that this type of collaboration will be repeated not only next summer but also at other busy times of year such as Christmas and Easter Week, and in the long term it is difficult to see why the arrangement, if it proves successful, should not be made permanent, with the resulting savings on administrative costs, avoiding duplication.