TW
0

THE summer security operation comes into force today bringing 750 additional officers (312 with the Guardia Civil and 440 with the National Police) on duty, Ramon Socias, the government representative announced yesterday. The wide ranging campaign will involve seven ministries and cover not only crime, but also prevention of accidents, additional security at ports and airports, emergency procedures for adverse weather conditions and safety on the beaches. The extra police officers will be on duty between July and September, and their duties will include reinforcing controls in bars and clubs to prevent drug consumption. This part of the operation will include uniformed officers near the entrances of the clubs as a dissuasive measure and plain clothes officers on duty inside. The clubs will be chosen at random.
At ports and airports, every effort will be made to prevent huge crowds which give a negative image of the Balearics.
Commenting on this aspect of the operation, Socias said that for the first time this year, a co-ordination mechanism would be introduced which will involve tour operators, airlines and air traffic controllers of other countries. It will also include an increase of staff at weekends and on days with the heaviest air traffic. Socias added that the supplementary security measures in ports, following European directives, also come into operation today (see story page 4).
Steps to reduce road accidents will include a breathalyser campaign in July, to crack down on drunk driving, and a campaign in August, to cut down speeding. The security programme will also co-ordinate the weather centre with the health services to ensure that they are prepared to act if extreme temperatures are recorded, or in the event of adverse weather conditions, such as sudden storms. Socias said that the central and Balearic governments and Endesa, the power company, would shortly be signing an agreement under which ten million euros will be spent on improving the security of the electricity network to reduce the risk of blackouts as much as possible. The maritime authorities will also tighten up checks on the use of jet skis to prevent accidents.