The master plan for the city police, to be presented at this Friday’s full council session, backs a model based on proximity, transparency and territory. The document will be shared with other municipal groups, trade unions and other social bodies in order for them to provide input on rolling out the plan, which has already been partially applied and will be put into practice progressively.

A key point identified by the plan is to assign a neighbourhood police officer for each of the city’s 73 neighbourhoods, to act as an intermediary with citizens in order to manage security and respect among communities. The new figure should act as a point of contact for local associations and residents on matters of prevention, safety and coexistence. As explained by the Mayor, Ada Colau: “Proximity means working on the ground and close to people. It should be at the heart of how officers carry out their work. That’s why one of the many measures to be put in place is the figure of the neighbourhood police offer”. Colau also highlighted the onus on transparency for the new model and the boost for “the traffic division, to reduce accidents in the city”.

The document also includes the creation of the new Proximity and Emergency Support Unit, which will be tasked with anticipating and managing emergencies, environmental protection and the development of specialised administrative work at a neighbourhood and district level. At the same time, the new Unit for Deontology and Internal Affairs will identify and promote good police practice to set a good example and gain recognition for the organisation as a whole.

The plan also outlines the opening of new offices to handle daytime grievances in the New Barris and Les Corts districts, as well as a 24 hour summer service at the existing police station in the Barceloneta neighbourhood. The master plan is long-term, reviewable and adaptable in order to respond to the needs of citizens and guarantee social rights and coexistence.

Members of all professional police categories were involved in drafting the plan, as were other municipal bodies. The document is the result of collaborative work, with contributions from 237 people, 75% of whom belong to the city police. The plan is made up of 13 programmes, 46 projects and 18 sub-projects and identifies close to 600 organisational initiatives.