Balearic government promises major police shake-up

THE Balearic Islands won't have its own police force by the time the present government ends its term of office, said Interior Minister Pilar Costa yesterday, but it will have a service which is much more finely-tuned to the needs of its citizens.

Speaking in the regional parliament yesterday, Costa said that a Balearic police force needs to consist of officers who work to protect all citizens of the community and that it is a model towards which her team will work as outlined in the Balearic statutes. Whilst this new policing model is in the making, however, Costa said that she would focus on consolidating the operational structure and coordination of the security forces as they already exist in the Islands, currently split into National and Local Police, the Guardia Civil and Tourist Police. The strategy would involve the use of cutting edge technology. Costa also wants to see agreements updated with local town councils in outlying areas of the Islands to make sure their police forces reflect the needs of the community.