Police Patrols Diverted from Santa Cruz Streets to Boost Migrant Center Security

The Ministry of Interior is pulling six National Police patrols from the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. These patrols, managed by the Provincial Police Station, will now be used to boost security at the Foreigners Internment Center (CIE) in Hoya Fría.

This decision comes after renovation work finished at the center, which was originally built in 2006 during an earlier migration crisis.

The move will impact officers who usually patrol the capital's streets and public areas, working out of the Provincial Police Station and the North and South District Police Stations (Pérez de Ayala and Tres de Mayo, respectively).

This reallocation of resources is happening despite recent central government statistics showing a rise in crime in Tenerife's capital. This includes violent robberies, home and business invasions, assaults, and street fights.

This increase in crime is occurring at a time when Santa Cruz de Tenerife is already short of hundreds of National and Local police officers.

The officers being moved belong to the Citizen Security Brigade. This brigade is already stretched thin, responsible for security at the San Andrés migrant reception center in El Hierro (requiring 35 officers), covering staff shortages at police stations and guarding hospitalized detainees (22 officers), and will also be needed for the Temporary Foreigner Reception Center (CATE) when it opens near Granadilla port.

The order to assign 12 National Police officers to the Hoya Fría CIE was sent to the Citizen Security Brigade on December 18. It came from Raúl Contreras, the commissioner in charge of the Police Operational Coordination Unit (UCOP), who is currently the acting chief and second-in-command of the provincial force.

The document also mentioned that some of the security duties at the center would be handled by the Immigration and Borders Brigade, which deals with immigration issues.

This decision has drawn criticism from police unions, including the Federal Police Union (UFP), the Unified Police Union (SUP), and Jupol.

José Delgado, spokesperson for the UFP, stated that the Citizen Security Brigade has become a "catch-all" unit. Its officers are constantly reassigned to fill gaps in various areas, including those related to migration. He acknowledged that it's not possible to take more officers from the Judicial or Scientific Police departments for these kinds of duties. Delgado expressed regret, saying that "with the current number of officers, we cannot provide an excellent service to residents."

The SUP pointed out that "the acting provincial commissioner has diverted Citizen Security personnel to secure the Hoya Fría CIE, leaving Santa Cruz without patrol cars." The union stated that "the surveillance of the facility is being prioritized over the security of the capital." They argue that patrol vehicles should not be taken off the streets to guard buildings.

According to official staffing lists, the National Police in Santa Cruz de Tenerife should have 981 officers but currently only has 820, a shortage of 161. The Local Police face a similar problem, needing 158 more officers for adequate service, a fact confirmed by a City Council motion passed last September. This combined shortage means Santa Cruz de Tenerife residents have 319 fewer police officers than required. José Delgado (UFP) believes the National Police's staffing catalog is outdated and doesn't account for the island's true needs, especially given the impact of migration.

Jupol highlighted that in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, incidents of injuries and brawls increased by 21.5% between January and September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Over the same period, violent robberies (like muggings) rose by 46.6%, and burglaries (in homes, shops, or warehouses) went up by 31.8%. Jupol emphasized that many of these crimes are best tackled by having more uniformed Citizen Security Brigade officers patrolling the streets.

Another criticism from Jupol is that the decision to assign 12 officers to the CIE was made during the busy Christmas period. This time of year usually requires extra police presence due to large crowds in shopping and entertainment areas and an increase in crimes like petty theft.