The police operation during the recently finished San Pedro Apóstol and Moors and Christians fiestas in Rojales prevented huge unauthorised gatherings drinking alcohol in the street, which in previous editions have numbered between 2,500 and 3,000 people, according to councillor for security Antonio López.
The 70-strong security team for the fiestas included the local police and its canine unit, Guardia Civil from the station in Almoradí and from the force’s specialised citizen security unit (USEC), regional police, Protección Civil volunteers, private security guards and ambulances hired from the company DYA.
Photo: Rojales town hall
They were coordinated from a single command point and organised according to a plan focused on anticipation, prevention, action, static checkpoints, cordoning off conflictive areas (e.g. the Paseo de la Música, streets around the secondary school, etc.), and prohibition of drinking alcohol in public spaces, the councillor explained.
He said their good work enabled a considerable reduction of situations resulting from uncontrolled drinking of alcohol, which resulted in the fiesta area being much calmer and free of altercations, not only for the revellers but also for the members of the security forces who were stationed there.
The operation so stop street drinking confiscated a large number of alcoholic drinks and drugs (cocaine, marijuana and hashish), as well as several knives and a baseball bat.
Sr López noted that the bar areas set up especially for the fiestas (barracas) were as busy as they have been in previous years, but the security operation managed to keep more people inside these enclosures rather than out of them.
He also emphasised that DYA reported a significant reduction in the number of medical interventions they were required to make in the fiesta areas.
“The planned operation, which started on the weekend of the San Isidro fiestas, has been a complete success,” he assured.
“The feedback from residents, and even from members of the security forces who supported us during these days, has been to congratulate our colleagues in the local police, who have worked their socks off so that all our residents and visitors could enjoy a spectacular weekend.”
