Mijas urgently needs more Guardia Civil

Guardia Civil in Mijas are stretched beyond capacity, according to Mijas Town Hall, and so they are requesting urgent back up from Central Government.

Mijas Council have sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior requesting a greater number of Guardia Civil officers in the municipality. The mayor explained at press conference this week that the population in Mijas has tripled since 1996, reaching more than 95,000 inhabitants. The boom in local tourism must also be taken into account, says the Mayor, especially considering the record numbers this year and Mijas hotels reporting a record 95.5% booking capacity.

Marbella has far more police per capita than Mijas

Mijas has an area of about 150 square kilometres, making it one of the largest municipalities in the province. However, the number of Guardia Civil officers is a mere150, low when compared to other municipalities with smaller populations and less diverse geography. Meanwhile, Marbella has more than 400 national police officers for a population of more than 156,000 inhabitants. According to the Mayor, they do not have the necessary human and material resources to cope with the growth in population.

In terms of infrastructure, land has been made available to the Government for years for the creation of a new Guardia Civil station as the current barracks have become obsolete and are in dire need of more space for officers to live in. Mijas Local Police receives daily calls from the Guardia Civil requesting back up due to the lack of resources to deal with emergencies. The mayor hopes that the Ministry of the Interior is aware of the situation of Mijas and that the Guardia Civil deserve the best services and facilities. They are willing to give up the land for the new barracks that is so necessary.