French Gendarmes Patrol Alicante Beaches with National Police

Officers from the National Police of Spain and the French Police have commenced joint patrols in Alicante this June to enhance tourist assistance, particularly during the peak tourist season. The 'European Police Stations' project is a collaborative effort where French officers are deployed to the province, and reciprocally, Spanish officers are sent to other European countries.

'European Police Stations' began in 2008 in collaboration with France, expanding in 2012 with Portugal, in 2014 with Italy, in 2020 with Germany, and since 2022 with the Netherlands. This year marks the fifth occurrence in the province of Alicante.

The project's aim is for officers from other countries to closely observe the working methods of the National Police in various fields, including Public Safety and Crime Investigation through the Judicial Police.

The officers' duties will include, among others, conducting patrols primarily on foot, but also by vehicle, in areas with high tourist traffic to prevent street crime; engaging with the general public and, specifically, tourists of their nationalities to assist with translation tasks. Additionally, foreign officers will patrol in their service uniforms. Furthermore, they will gain insight into the work carried out by the Judicial Police Groups in the province.

For the same purpose, two other French officers will be in the city of Benidorm during the first fortnight of August, patrolling and supporting the National Police officers in the city.