The Local Police ignore the Cort report and use the Estaciones park as a private parking lot

PalmTensions between the Palma City Council (Cort) and the Local Police have entered a new phase. In addition to those caused by the stalled Urban Development Plan, which have led to protests in front of City Hall and boycotts of the mayor at public events, there are now further developments. complaints of alleged arbitrary internal mobility And the conflict over the use of the Estacions park as a police parking lot. The force is parking its vehicles there despite a report against it from the Mobility Department, which rejects the requested road modifications in the vicinity of the new police station. The technical assessment is unequivocal: the space "does not meet the minimum requirements" for road safety or urban planning to accommodate a permanent surface parking lot. This new front further complicates the management of the force by the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez.

The Mobility document reiterates that the permitted use of this space is limited to outdoor recreation and sports activities, and that vehicle access must be occasional and justified by public services, without causing significant traffic or permanent occupation. Furthermore, the technical team notes the high volume of pedestrian and cyclist traffic in the area, which includes the main entrance to the Intermodal Station and numerous EMT bus stops. According to data from the 2022 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS), over 15,000 pedestrians pass along the avenues every 12 hours, and between 5,000 and 10,000 cross them. The Mobility Department believes that implementing a permanent parking facility would pose an additional risk at one of the city's most important intermodal transport hubs. Therefore, "the implementation of an on-street parking facility is not recommended," the report states.

In the first request, which Mobility sources describe as "a file containing no application or report to report on, only a hand-drawn sketch without specifications or other indication," the Police ask to lower a section of sidewalk on Marqués de la Fontsanta street, in front of the new police station located in the park building, as well as to remove one of the patrol cars.

In response, the Mobility Department issued a contrary report and proposed as an alternative creating a special parking area in the right lane of Marqués de la Fontsanta Street. This would entail eliminating the current lane and relocating Bicipalma Station 13. The report also warned that removing the traffic calming barrier would place access under the control of the Local Police, who would be unable to guarantee the safety of road users.

But the police rejected the proposal and insisted on creating a delimited corridor with planters within the park, between two Bicipalma stations, and even requested that the bike lane end before that point. In its latest response, the Mobility Department refers to its previous report and asks the police to adjust "operations to promote the safety of citizens and the immediate surroundings." For the time being, communication has ended here, and the Palma police are using the Parc de les Estacions as a private parking lot.

Tensions between the Palma City Council and the Local Police have become more evident as the term has progressed. At the heart of the conflict is the force's reorganization plan, which the mayor has pledged to implement. The project anticipates an economic impact of around 10 million euros annually due to the associated salary increase, but The negotiations have stalled on technical and administrative grounds.Cort spokesperson Mercedes Celeste admitted in statements to ARA Baleares that they are "continuing with the negotiations, but it is a complicated situation" and was clear: "I will not pressure any official to sign anything if they don't feel comfortable."He insisted that "doing things right is fundamental," even if this involves tensions with the unions. Two weeks after these statements, the mayor announced that He was removed from his post and replaced by the Department of Public Administration. passed into the hands of Llorenç Bauzá, to whom He has also been given the area of ​​Citizen Security.

Repeated non-compliance

For their part, the labor unions accuse the mayor of repeatedly breaking his promises. Martínez had initially announced that the plan would come into effect on January 1st of this year, a deadline that was not met. Agustí Sánchez, the CSIF representative in Palma City Council, criticized the mayor for "failing to lead a very important project for the city" and asserted that, after almost three years in office, the Local Police remain "in the same situation" and feel "completely deceived."

The tension has spilled over from the offices and become visible on the streets and in the council chamber. At the January city council meeting, a group of officers displayed signs with slogans such as "Less talk, more protection" and "Without a plan, you lose the citizens." Lately, the protests have gone even further: a group of union members staged a boycott at a public event attended by the mayor, standing up in the middle of the auditorium and turning their backs on him during his speech.