Arona Overhauls Public Safety Strategy With Expanded K9 Unit

Arona has overhauled its approach to public safety by consolidating its K9 Canine Unit. Recent reports show that this specialized team is now a central part of the municipality’s strategy to modernize surveillance and address the growing need to detect illicit substances in complex urban areas.

These officer-and-dog teams are not just patrolling randomly; they are deployed through tactical planning. This includes monitoring public transport hubs, such as bus stops and the interiors of buses, as well as high-traffic nightlife areas in Playa de Las Américas. In these busy zones, the unit works closely with the National Police to make the best use of available resources.

Mayor Fátima Lemes believes this unit is a vital addition to conventional policing, providing officers with a technical tool that improves control on public roads. Héctor Reyes, head of the Local Police, highlighted the unit's versatility, noting that they operate both in neighborhoods with a history of substance use—such as Las Galletas, El Fraile, and Costa del Silencio—and in large-scale preventive operations.

This model is part of the local government’s responsibility to prevent crime and maintain order. By investing in the K9 unit, the municipality aims to do more than just remove substances from the streets; it intends to improve how residents and tourists feel about their safety, creating a more secure environment through specialized, modern policing.