Torrevieja City Council will invest €543,445 over the next four and a half years to bolster security in municipal buildings and events—outsourcing services that would traditionally fall under the responsibility of the Local Police. The move comes as a response to ongoing staffing shortages within the force, despite recent progress in stabilizing personnel numbers.
The new private security contract, which covers operations until 2029, includes the supervision of high-traffic municipal areas such as the weekly Friday market at Antonio Soria Park, the City Hall, the Social Welfare and Census departments, and various festive and cultural events. It also allocates about 500 hours annually to secure the municipal football stadium.
The current security contract ends on Sunday, and with the new contract still in the tender phase, the city will have to continue these services without a formal agreement—prompting internal warnings from the Comptroller’s Office.
Despite nearly 40 newly recruited officers expected to return from training this month, boosting the Local Police force to around 180 officers, City Hall maintains that the service remains overstretched. Officials cite growing demands from increased municipal infrastructure, frequent public-facing services, and a backlog of duties that private security staff cannot legally fulfil, such as traffic enforcement or armed intervention.
The annual security cost—€135,000 with VAT—will provide over 6,000 hours of service from a team of approximately ten guards and assistants. Private security personnel will manage access control at municipal buildings, inspect visitor documents and parcels, and provide on-site coordination with city staff during emergencies or disturbances.
Municipal technicians justified the contract by noting that the city’s facilities and public demand have outgrown the operational capacity of the Local Police. The city’s e-government push has improved some processes, but areas like the Census and Social Welfare departments still face long lines and daily tensions—issues the council hopes to address by reinforcing security.
While critics may question the outsourcing of a public safety role, the City Council insists this temporary measure is necessary to maintain order, ensure safety at municipal sites, and reduce pressure on the existing police force until full staffing levels are securely in place.
