San Miguel de Salinas has suffered two robberies in two bars and in a house in recent days. The house robbery occurred last Sunday when the owners found the thieves inside the house on their return from dining out. They called both the Local Police and the Guardia Civil in the town but failed to get an answer. The complaint was eventually dealt with in Torrevieja.
The robberies took place at a time when police forces are very thin on the ground, a fact that is common knowledge, especially amongst those who are dedicated to the theft of homes.
The Local Police has a total of eleven agents, two of which are employed solely in administration. There is also one officer who exercises the functions of command leaving just eight policemen to patrol the streets and meet the many other needs of the municipality.
On many occasions it is found that neither the afternoon nor the evening shift can.
Also in the town, the Civil Guard police station is only manned until noon. After that only one patrol is active but it is responsible for dealing with incidents in several municipalities, so when an emergency occurs, such as an assault, the reaction time is often unsatisfactory as was the case with the incidents that occurred over the holiday period.
The authorities say that despite the current shortage there is unlikely to be any change.
