Summer eye in the sky for motorists

Summer security operations have not only been launched on the ground, but also in the air. From now until the end of the summer, a DGT traffic department helicopter will be patrolling the skies over Majorca keeping a watchful eye on motorists. The helicopter has been sent to the island from Madrid and will be based at the Son San Joan airforce base for the next three months. Sources for the DGT traffic department said yesterday that the airbourne patrols are hugely effective. Not only does the eye in the sky help the police monitor traffic flows and accidents while catching offenders, just the mere sight of the chopper forces drivers to comply with the traffic laws. The officers on board the helicopter are in continuous radio contact with colleagues on the ground, therefore able to respond to any situation more or less immediately. This year, the helicopter crew will also include a doctor and a medical auxiliary so that the team can respond to accidents as they happen and administer first aid and vital help while the emergency services head to the scene. Over the next few weeks, extra members of the Guardia Civil and the National Police will start arriving in Majorca as part of the annual summer security operation. In Majorca it is particularly tight because it is where the Spanish royal family, and quite often royal and political royal guests, spend their summer holidays at Marivent Palace on the outskirts of Palma.