...BUT IT´S STILL NOT ENOUGH SAYS PRESIDENT MATAS

Staff reporter BALEARIC President Jaume Matas said yesterday that the size of the security forces in the Balearics is still insufficient to cover the region's requirements. Despite the arrival of the 158 new members of the Guardia Civil, Matas maintains that even more members of the state security forces (Guardia Civil and National Police) are needed in the Balearics. “This is a region which lives off tourism and its image and for that, security and safety are absolutely vital,” he said before adding that the current state security forces “come nowhere close” to being able to cope. The Balearic leader went on the criticise the lack of sufficient equipment the two security forces have access to in the Balearics and that the police stations and barracks are inadequate. However, despite claims that the Guardia Civil force in the Balearics is now running at over 100 percent, the annual nation-wide summer security operation will see a further influx of extra members of the Guardia Civil and the National Police to help existing forces maintain maximum levels of safety and security. The Balearic government does apparently intend to draw up plans for a new regional police force as part of a new Balearic constitution but the Guardia Civil director general Pedro Mesquida had no comment to make on the subject yesterday.