Police in Playa de Palma on Sunday for the unauthorised street-drinking event.

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There is to be more than a doubling of the number of local police in Palma's tourist areas this season - from 23 May to 23 October. Mayor José Hila announced today that this "enormous increase" will take the number to 94.

Palma's councillor for public safety, Angélica Pastor, said that this police reinforcement includes twelve new temporary officers who have been taken on in addition to nine others who were recruited in March and those who will be covering duties in a "voluntary" capacity. She said she hoped the volunteers will be sufficient without having to resort to making officers assume these duties. She stressed that working conditions are similar to those of the night service and respect specific supplements.

The station in Las Maravillas will be open 24 hours, while the creation of a new "observatory" for reinforcement in Playa de Palma will enable analysis of police operations. The current chief of police, Major José Antonio Bravo, explained that this observatory will allow there to be changes week by week, depending on airport arrivals, cruise-ship schedules and other tourism aspects.

He added that summer policing is a challenge because of issues such as illegal games (the three-cup one, for instance), street drinking parties and illegal street selling. He admits that this selling will never be stamped out, "but we are going to manage it".

On prostitution, Bravo said that the force was working in coordination with the National Police. "We will be keeping watch and passing them the information." The mayor added that he has asked the national government delegate to the Balearics. Teresa Palmer, for more National Police officers in the summer.

Hila commented that all behaviour in Playa de Palma will not be changed in two months, but that the town hall wants to start to improve it. He concluded that the local police in Palma will again become a point of reference for police forces and an example of innovation.