Santa Cruz Police: Fleet in terrible condition, lacking cars for patrol.

Santa Cruz police say their patrol cars are in terrible condition. Of the 42 vehicles the city leases, many are broken down, damaged inside, without air conditioning, and lack partitions for detainees. They also lack flashing lights and sirens needed for emergency calls.

The CSIF police union is outraged that the authorities do not want to update the fleet. In their opinion, this prevents the police from working properly and ensuring people's safety. Union representative Jesús Illada explained that the new car rental system, approved in January, is not suitable for the police. The city spends a lot of money – €1,250,000 a year – on renting cars that constantly break down because they are used around the clock and at high speeds.

Security Councilor Gladys de León assures that things are not so bad. According to her, about 12 cars are currently being repaired, and another 5 are completely wrecked. But she says there are enough cars to protect people. She added that they are working on a new lease agreement, which they plan to sign in April 2026. Then the police will have more cars.

The CSIF says that since the cars are leased, they take a long time to repair because there are no spare parts. And when they ask for a replacement, the company sends a regular car converted into a police car.

Illada said that 22 Ateca cars and 4 Ford Kuga cars were brought in without partitions for detainees. Currently, 16 of them are in operation, as well as one Ford Ranger. But when one of these cars breaks down, it is not replaced. Instead, they give a regular car without markings, which is prohibited by law.

The CSIF has already written letters to the occupational safety service, the commissioner, and the director of security. They reported that police officers are being transported in old Unipol vans with stickers, without air conditioning. And this is dangerous to health.

Illada also stated that due to the lack of patrol cars, they have to use cars intended for covert operations. These are old unmarked cars that are over 20 years old. They are used for surveillance, but during holidays or to transport documents, police officers are forced to drive them because there are no other cars. The union believes that this is a disgrace and irresponsibility of the city authorities, which spoils the image of the police. The lease agreement is expiring, and they will have to wait until April 2026 to conclude a new one. There are few serviceable patrol cars left, and they may not last until the new agreement.

Security Councilor Gladys de León assured that the current lease agreement will expire at the end of September and may be extended for another nine months. She added that they are working on a new agreement, which they plan to conclude in early April. It will provide for more cars, and all of them will be marked.

Regarding the criticism of police officers using disguised cars or Unipol vans, the councilor explained that unmarked cars are used in exceptional cases, such as for transporting minors, in domestic violence cases, or for arson surveillance. She assured that these are isolated cases, and these cars have portable flashing lights and sirens.