Viewpoint: Two areas different laws

THOUSANDS of German tourists watched the World Cup final in Majorca, celebrated their team´s victory and then went back to their hotels without incident. Meanwhile, in Magalluf there were fights, incidents and arrests. In the Playa de Palma, home to the resorts of Arenal and Can Pastilla, the Palma Municipal Police have been mounting their very own clean-up operation. There are scores of police officers on duty and probably as a direct result the World Cup final passed without incident. So what is the big difference between Arenal and Magalluf? Well the Palma city Council have introduced their Good Citizen plan which outlaws bad behaviour and street drinking. Also, additional police officers are on duty. Now, I am not saying that the policing plan for Arenal is perfect and there are no incidents but the police do appear to have the area under control. In Magalluf the area continues to have its fair share of problems as you will read in today´s edition, but perhaps the Calvia Council can learn from their Palma counterparts. The "Good Citizen Plan" is a good idea and is clearly giving the police the necessary powers to act when needed.Magalluf is certainly in the spotlight at the moment and the Calvia Council have launched their crackdown. But the necessary laws need to be in place so that the police can act. This is the beauty of the "Good Citizen Plan." I think the time has come for an island-wide Good Citizen plan.