Behind all this is the fraught relationship between the town hall (and so also the local police) and the national government's delegation to the Balearics which has responsibility for the National Police in the city. The tension at the meeting was such that Pastor accused the National Police of doing nothing.
The general secretary of the government's delegation, Evelio Antich, said that he would not enter into discussions with the town hall, adding that public safety should be more important than making political capital out of the issue in the run-up to the general election next month: Hila has been accused of doing just this.
Antich continued: "I would ask for cautiousness. Any statements which draw into question the safety of tourists in an area such as Playa de Palma can be dangerous. National Police numbers will be strengthened on the islands with 170 officers who will be added to as the season progresses."
Hila disagreed with the delegation's general secretary. "I asked for National Police reinforcements months ago and did so when there was no election. We have been told that the reinforcement will start on 1 July. The tourism season in Palma starts much earlier than this and that is a fact. I have to add that I was not informed until 23 May, and that is not normal."
Hila repeated his accusation that Teresa Palmer, the head of the delegation, had left her post (to become the number one election candidate for the Balearic Partido Popular) without saying goodbye or providing information on policing arrangements.
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