Santa Cruz Rents Vans for Carnival Police, Union Flags Resource Shortage
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is renting vans to transport police during its Carnival for the first time due to a failed vehicle contract renewal, prompting union concerns about a deeper lack of resources.
Managing equipment and supplies to keep people safe during big events like the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival has highlighted some logistical challenges for the city council. Reports indicate that the city has started renting vehicles to transport local police officers assigned to cover the festivities.
This is the first time such a measure has been implemented for the local celebrations. It involves two rented vans, each capable of carrying seven or eight police officers. Gladis de Le贸n, the Security Councillor, explained that this decision was made because the police car leasing contract is ending soon, and a recent attempt to renew this service was unsuccessful. De Le贸n described the situation as a "temporary" solution until new contract details can be published.
The CSIF union has expressed concern, suggesting that the need to rent vehicles for the Carnival points to a deeper, structural lack of resources. The union noted that while this solution addresses a high-demand event, a general shortage of vehicles could affect how the police respond to everyday emergencies. Furthermore, the union stated its awareness that many officers use their own private vehicles for tasks like traffic control.
In response, Councillor De Le贸n denied that officers use private cars for official duties, arguing that renting the vans is precisely intended to prevent such a situation. Nevertheless, the councillor acknowledged the need for more police vehicles, a problem she expects to be resolved with the upcoming new service contract.