The recent departure of the former head of the Local Police of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has been viewed by unions as an opportunity to reorient the force's management. Union organizations have requested that the City Council select a communicative leader committed to modernizing the service, which has been marked by conflict and a scarcity of resources.
The succession in leadership has no set date yet, influenced by the organization of security arrangements for a religious figure's visit to the city. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the previous head may be reinstated, a matter pending judicial resolution after the annulment of his dismissal in 2019.
“"We will demand from the new leadership a management that prioritizes respect for agreements and their implementation, treats personnel equitably, and prioritizes internal organization."
From the Unión Sindical de Policía y Bomberos (USPB), emphasis has been placed on the need to prioritize the opening of the shooting range, training in taser use, and the implementation of comprehensive personal management software. The importance of strengthening the processes for acquiring resources with specialized technical personnel has also been highlighted.
The Central Sindical Independiente y de Funcionarios (CSIF) has stressed the importance of a fluid connection between unions and leadership, criticizing past lack of transparency on issues such as access to units or productivity distribution. They have insisted on the need for real modernization of the force, lamenting the loss of access to vital data for police functions in recent years.
“"The force has regressed over these years in terms of equipment and personnel organization."
Meanwhile, Comisiones Obreras (CC OO) has demanded greater awareness from the new leadership regarding the force's real problems and increased transparency in work organization. They propose a restructuring that includes reinforcing district police, incorporating more personnel, and better management of the vehicle fleet.
The Professional Union of Local Police and Firefighters has requested composure from the new leadership and offered union collaboration to resolve the many open issues. They have called for a fluid relationship open to social contributions, with special attention to mobility agents.
From the opposition, the Partido Popular (PP) in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council has described the resignation of the former chief as the result of a “chaotic and improvised” security policy over 11 years. They have indicated that this situation opens a crisis in an essential service at a critical time for the capital's security.
“"It is not the Local Police that is failing, but the municipal government."
The popular spokesperson noted that Las Palmas de Gran Canaria closed 2025 with an increase in criminal offenses, including a significant rise in homicides and violent robberies. She also denounced the “meager” chain of command, with only 474 positions filled out of 677 and a shortage of inspectors, which she considers an insufficient structure for a city of nearly 400,000 inhabitants.
In addition to personnel shortages, the PP mentioned the lack of authorization for drug tests, insufficient tasers, and delayed overtime payments. They have demanded explanations from the municipal government regarding the situation and a clear plan to fill command positions, complete the staff, and restore security to the neighborhoods.
For its part, the spokesperson for Coalición Canaria (CC) in the City Council has demanded that the municipal government “stop improvising” on security, following a “judicial setback” over the dismissal of the previous commissioner and the recent resignation. He criticized that the city's security cannot function based on “patches, dismissals, appeals, and resignations.”
The nationalist spokesperson recalled that the Justice System annulled the dismissal of the previous head of the Local Police, concluding that there was no evidence to justify his removal. He lamented that, instead of learning from this error, the government has accumulated conflicts leading to the current situation, which he considers a “serious structural problem” in the security area.
