Extra police and buses for Palma over festive period

PALMA City Council revealed its Christmas security campaign yesterday announcing that there will be more Local Police than ever on the beat.
Following Thursday's meeting of Majorcan police chiefs to discuss how best resources can be pooled over the festive period, Palma city hall is deploying 100 Local Police, 36 percent more than last year, to boost citizen safety and control traffic. The council's security chief Alvaro Gijón revealed yesterday that the extra police have been poached from the Tourist Police force while Local Police chief Joan Feliu said that, apart from traffic, his force's main targets are going to be petty criminals, bad snatchers and pick pockets, in the very busy shopping districts. While the National Police are going to be deploying extra patrol cars, as reported yesterday, the Local Police are going to be on the streets, either on foot of bicycle patrol. Rapid response units will also be on stand-by in key areas and plain-clothed officers will also be in operation.
But, Gijon said the general public can play an important role in helping to reduce traffic congestion. Extra busses are being put on routes to out lying suburbs like Son Roca, Son Gotleu and Son Rapinya and on December 22, the under ground car park in Sa Gerreria will be open offering an extra 300 parking places. But the council would prefer people to use public transport when possible.