San Juan Councilor Alleges Police Harassment Over Pay Row
San Juan de la Rambla Town Hall is embroiled in controversy after councilor Yanira Mesa accused two local police officers of harassment, linking the incidents to an earlier dispute over police pay.
Tensions are rising in San Juan de la Rambla Town Hall after councilor Yanira Mesa (AUP-SSP) accused two local police officers of harassment. Details of her complaint, which recently emerged, describe several incidents. Mesa believes these are connected to an earlier disagreement over police pay, causing a major stir in local government.
Mesa first reported the officers to the Civil Guard in June last year, adding more details in August. She accuses them of inciting hatred and damaging her reputation. Her complaint cites various social media posts, including some from profiles she believes were set up by police officers. In her expanded complaint, Mesa claims one officer wrote a message containing "absolutely false" accusations that deeply hurt her personal and professional standing.
Mesa says the situation has left her with a "constant feeling of fear". She feels "totally vulnerable" in particular because of a Facebook group. She also highlighted that the accused is an active public official with access to a service weapon, which adds to her "unease and fear".
Her complaint also describes alleged direct intimidation beyond online platforms. Last November, the two officers reportedly went to Mesa's home to inform her about a council meeting, recording her as they handed over the document. Mesa says she never told the local police this was her usual home or designated it as an address for official notifications. A week before this, she recalls another incident at the town hall offices. One of the officers allegedly walked into a closed meeting room without warning, interrupting an official discussion to speak to her.
Mesa believes the conflict started because the officers wanted a pay rise, a request that her party, AUP-SSP, refused to put forward at a council meeting. This refusal was based on two previous court decisions that sided with the Town Hall. In 2022, one of the accused officers sued for this pay rise, but the case was dismissed because the Town Hall lacked a Job List (RPT). The High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands upheld this decision in 2023.
In response, the Canary Islands Public Administration Workers' Union (STAP) released a social media statement denying Yanira Mesa's and her party's "false allegations and accusations". The union claims that "from minute one," Mesa opposed improvements and demands for the local police, even those already agreed with the previous government. STAP accuses Mesa and the municipal secretary of "obstructing their agreements and resolutions" and showing "an animosity towards the police".
Mesa also stated that she submitted a document to the Town Hall, asking Mayor Juan Ramos Reyes (CC), who is the highest authority for the police force, to address the alleged harassment. However, Mesa says she has not received any response from the mayor.