Pilar de la Horadada’s Local Police celebrated their 40th anniversary with an awards ceremony honouring officers, Civil Protection volunteers and residents who have helped protect the community.
Held to mark the feast of the force’s patron saint, Saint Michael the Archangel, the event reflected on four decades of service since the police force was established in 1986, the year Pilar became an independent municipality.
Among those recognised were 31 police officers and seven Civil Protection volunteers who assisted communities devastated by the Valencia floods of 29 October 2024. They received Silver Medals for Police Merit in Public Protection, with white distinction.
The volunteers reached the affected area within 48 hours and supported operations in Massanassa and Catarroja over the following weeks, giving their time during rest periods and days off. Their duties included preventing looting, removing vehicles and debris, transporting sick and injured people, clearing mud, checking damaged buildings and distributing food.
Residents and professionals also received commendations for helping police tackle crime and respond to emergencies. Those honoured included Jesús Dalmau Chávez, whose report helped officers arrest suspected bag thieves at Las Higuericas beach, and Jesús Rodríguez Martínez, who stayed with two elderly people trapped in their vehicle during flooding in October 2025 until rescuers arrived.
Other awards recognised residents who offered off-road vehicles for flood rescues, an Orihuela police officer who provided specialist equipment training, and 14 VIGIPROT security guards who helped officers deal with a disturbance during the 2025 fiestas.
Professional Merit Crosses were awarded to ten officers for 20 years’ service, two for 30 years and one for 35 years. Longstanding community supporter Hilario Martínez Sáez also received a Silver Medal.
An emotional tribute honoured the force’s first chief, Pedro Gracia López, who received a posthumous Police Merit Cross, accepted by his son. The auditorium hosting the ceremony will bear his name.
Mayor José María Pérez Sánchez thanked everyone recognised, stressing that public safety is a shared responsibility and praising the force’s enduring commitment to Pilar de la Horadada.
