Opposition Challenges Mayor's Response
The PSC-Girona pel Canvi municipal group has criticised Mayor Lluc Salellas’ response to two knife attacks in Girona this week, after he described the incidents as 'private fights' on social media. In a press release, PSC councillor Josep Palouzié said framing the attacks this way shifts focus away from the local government’s responsibility to prevent violence. 'That an assault originated in a private context does not diminish its seriousness or the municipal government’s duty to act,' Palouzié stated.
Call for Preventive Security Measures
The Socialist group is demanding a comprehensive strategy combining prevention and increased resources. They are calling for the reinforcement of the Municipal Police, citing the recent departure of eight officers to the Mossos d'Esquadra, the regional police force. According to the Generalitat’s 2023 annual report on local police forces, Girona’s police has 1,223 officers across the region, with 164 stationed in the city itself, as confirmed by the city council’s official announcement of three new recruits expected to join by summer 2026.
The city needs a mayor who leads on security, not just explains incidents.
The PSC is urging the reinstatement of foot patrols, especially in high-footfall commercial and civic areas. They also want urgent repairs to non-functional surveillance cameras, referencing a recent city council notice confirming ongoing maintenance work on the video surveillance system.
Delayed Local Security Plan Criticised
The opposition highlights that it proposed the creation of a Local Security Plan in 2023, but the proposal was rejected by the governing coalition at the time. The plan is now being prepared, but the PSC argues valuable time has been lost in establishing shared diagnostics and prioritising interventions across city neighbourhoods. The PSC’s 2023 motion calling for improved governance through updated municipal plans is recorded in the city’s transparency portal, though it did not specifically name the security plan. While the city council has taken steps to improve street-level policing by reallocating nine officers’ hours to street duties through internal efficiency measures, the PSC insists systemic changes are overdue. Residents are advised to remain alert and report suspicious activity via the municipal police channel or the Mossos d'Esquadra emergency number.
Primary sources: Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública, girona.cat, eb.girona.cat, mossos.gencat.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat, interior.gencat.cat. Reported by Gerió Digital.
