Record number of National Police and Guardia Civil officers on the books in Andalucía

Andalucía will have 29,377 National Police and Guardia Civil officers in July: a historic maximum after the incorporation of the latest batch of recruits.

Spain's Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, gave details of the figures on Thursday (29 June) during a presentation in Malaga of the deployment of the state security forces designed for Operation Verano (summer) 2023. The Minister also pointed out that the number of officers at a national level, with 156,453, is also at an all-time high.

The government delegate in Andalucía, Pedro Fernández, who was present at the event, highlighted that, following calls for applications, more than 14,000 posts that had been lost have been recovered.

Fernández also highlighted the reinforcement of the National Police and Guardia Civil "in the main tourist destinations and areas with Operation Summer 2023 in which almost 12,000 officers will work - in Andalucía - to guarantee security and minimise the risks associated with the increase in holidaymakers".

Across the region, 11,969 officers from both forces will take part in the summer operation, some 6,613 National Police and 5,356 Guardia Civil, who will work to increase public safety in tourist areas, minimising the risks associated with criminal activity.

Operation Verano 2023 will have reinforcements from both forces totalling 2,733 officers in Malaga; 2,206 in Cadiz; 1,722 in Granada; 1,663 in Seville; 1,395 in Almeria; 1,120 in Huelva; 438 in Cordoba; and 261 in Jaén, in addition to 431 Guardia Civil reinforcements in Algeciras.

The national campaign begins on 1 July and the police deployment will last until 31 August in the regions of Andalucía, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Valencia, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia, and in the case of the Balearic Islands it will be extended until 30 September.

"At the Ministry of the Interior we know that one of the factors that adds most value to our tourism sector is the work carried out by the National Police and the Guardia Civil to provide tourists, wherever they come from, with a safe and protected space in which to enjoy all their holiday activities," Grande-Marlaska said.

The summer police deployment aims to increase surveillance and preventive control on urban and interurban roads, stations, ports, airports, hotels, beaches and campsites, and events with large gatherings.