fears about the security of the election day in Catalonia, before the agitation for independence in the streets, has led the authorities to deploy a heavy police force. In him, according to sources in the operating, will participate up to 2,500 police officers and 2,000 civil guards, who will act together with the Mossos d’esquadra, more than double the 2,000 agents sent to the community following the verdict of the procés. The official sources of the Ministry of the Interior to lower the figure to around 3,000. The Mossos deployed another 8,000 officers to guard the polling stations.
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A patrol of the police regional will monitor each polling place in towns of over 4,000 inhabitants, according to sources in the body, which will force to activate the maximum operational capacity of the Mossos.
Police and civil guards are coming to Catalonia as a trickle daily from the beginning of this week prior to the general election. Groups of Units of Intervention of the National Police (IPU) and of Reserve, and Security (GRS) of the Guardia Civil are staying in hotels and barracks of the entire community. Sources of operating calculated that the agents of reinforcement will add about 4,500 for the next Sunday, when the spaniards have the fourth appointment with the polls in four years. Interior avoids giving an official figure for reasons of security and official sources put the number of agents in about 3,000. But other sources of the Coordination Centre (CECOR) of security established in Barcelona and participated by members of the three bodies, confirm the calculation of 4,500. “It has been reinforced since before the 1-Or has increased, and something more these days for the elections and for the visit of the royal family”, recognized spokesmen of the Interior.
The difficulties experienced by autonomous and national police during the serious riots in Barcelona and other capitals of Catalan after learning of the judgment of the procés have been taken to strengthen the operating. Then came 2000 agents, half police officers and half of civil guards. Now —after days of street riots that ended up with 600 injured, about 200 detainees, 28 imprisoned and damage worth over 2.5 million euros— can even double the number of support agents who will come from all parts of Spain to ensure the security of the election day together with the Mossos.
The police regional latest a device very similar to that of the general elections of December 2017, convened after the intervention of the government in application of article 155 of the Constitution. A patrol of the Mossos, in two different shifts will cover in a fixed manner more than 2,700 points of the vote in Catalonia, from the beginning to the end of the day. In addition, you will trigger all the services of public order of the body, which will be available in the event that they are needed. In case of emergency, ask for the support of National Police and Civil Guard.
Agents without the power to vote
Some unions of both bodies have launched critiques Interior since it was launched the operation after the judgment of the procés. Complain of his long stay in Catalonia and who do not know the date of his return. Indoor sources, however, claim that some of the agents have now returned to their destinations original and that have been offered days of rest to those who remain in Catalonia. In the case of the national police, the main trade unions —Police Justice (Jupol) and the Unified Union of Police (SUP)— they also complain that the agents shall ensure that the vote may not vote themselves, as the displaced this week to reinforce security in Catalonia were informed the day of the deadline for applying to vote by mail. The trade union organizations have asked that the Election Board “to adopt urgent measures to guarantee the right to vote of the police.”
All the agents must be operational for the day of reflection Saturday, the day on which the platform independence Tsunami Democràtic —investigated by the National court as a “criminal organization that promotes the commission of terrorist attacks”— has called for activities by calling “disobedience to the Electoral Board”, including a concentration in the Plaza de Cataluña of Barcelona, at 16.00 “and in the rest of places of the country.” The movement, however, has defended the “exercise of the right to vote,” the 10-N, and has assured that will not disturb the normal development of the electoral day.
The day of reflection, the duty patrols of the Mossos will monitor the polling places to the possibility of an incident. Already by the evening it will intensify the patrolling, with the information services and research. According to police sources, see remote the possibility of occupation of polling stations. Otherwise, they warn, is that some end up calling demonstrations. In any case, police officers report that shall abide by the instructions that transmit to the Electoral Board.
In an order that is internal to the that it has had access to THE COUNTRY, the police Catalan communicates that does not approve permits for personal reasons, hours accumulated or guards not face-to-face in the days 9 and 10 of November. The direction of the body autonomic ordering “maximum activation” to the services of information, mediation, and public order.
The night previous to the elections, it will trigger the “maximum possible number” of agents of the research units, which will participate in patrols preventive in electoral colleges, and are joined to the protective services of the centers 10-N.
The Mossos face a week very complicated, which began with the protection of the act of the King and his family in Barcelona, last Monday. The Provincial Electoral Board removed pressure the police autonomous by rejecting the eviction of the camped on the plaza of the University of Barcelona. In addition, up to 70 personalities catalans have signed a manifesto of support to the Autonomous and criticized the attitude of the president of the Generalitat, Quim Torra.
