The Local Police of Sant Antoni de Portmany launched this Monday the Territorial Beach Unit, which will be operational from now until September 30. The main objective is to reinforce surveillance and security along the entire coastline of the municipality, especially in areas of high tourist influx and where street vending is often detected.
The unit, created four years ago, makes daily routes from the Es Molí area to Cala Saladeta using electric bicycles. In addition, there are occasional patrols on jet skis to access more complicated areas. This presence makes it possible to act quickly and surprise street vendors in areas such as Cala Salada, Cala Saladeta, Cala Gració and Cala d’es Moro.
Sant Antoni’s mayor, Marcos Serra, stressed that thanks to this unit, illegal sales in coves where they were previously commonplace have significantly decreased. «The surprise factor provided by the jet skis has enabled us to reach and eradicate this street vending. Years ago, it was very annoying and an unfair competition for legal businesses in Cala Saladeta,» he said.
The unit is made up of two teams, that is, four local police officers, who are divided into shifts to cover the day continuously. In addition, it is complemented by regular patrols and special devices, some of them in plain clothes, to act at specific points when the need is detected.
The councillor for public safety, Neus Mateu, explained that sometimes some patrols work undercover to reinforce the control devices. She also recalled that, although the jet skis do not have powers at sea, they can reach the entire coastal strip.
In addition to the municipal surveillance, part of the operation is carried out in coordination with the Guardia Civil, through an agreement that allows joint actions in the morning. «We are willing to extend the season if the Guardia Civil can provide more officers», Serra said, underlining the collaboration between the two institutions.