Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Reactivate Unipol Police Unit to Combat Rising Crime

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is set to overhaul its public safety strategy. The City Council has begun the process to reactivate the Local Police’s specialized intervention unit, Unipol, before the end of the year. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez pushed for the move in response to growing concerns from residents about crime across the city.

The decision stems from ongoing staffing shortages that have affected national security agencies. Unipol was originally created in 2004 to help bridge these gaps, and the city now aims to restore the unit to full operational capacity. To achieve this, the government has fast-tracked the acquisition of new vehicles, equipment, and personnel now that the previous legal and technical hurdles have been cleared.

Gladis de León, head of the Security Department, noted that the unit will work closely with regional and national security forces to improve crime prevention. The city believes this specialized team is essential to addressing the recent rise in public anxiety regarding safety.

This move comes amid broader debates about whether major cities in the Canary Islands have enough police resources. By bringing back Unipol, the Santa Cruz City Council hopes to restore the unit’s reputation for effective prevention and make it a central part of the city’s security strategy in the coming weeks.