Balearic PP calls for 1,000 extra police officers

The Balearic branch of the People’s Party (PP) has called on Spain’s central government to add 1,000 officers to the National Police and Civil Guard in the Balearic Islands. The request was made in Palma, Mallorca, on 20 August 2026, with the party citing an increase in reported crime.

Marga Durán, the PP’s deputy spokesperson in the Balearic Parliament, said 11,440 criminal offences were recorded in Mallorca during the first quarter of the year, nearly 1,500 more than in the same period of 2025. She said the figures showed worsening public safety and criticised Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for failing to respond.

Crime figures cited by the PP

The party said violent robberies had risen by 22.3%, vehicle thefts by 24.3%, drug trafficking offences by 25.5%, and offences against sexual freedom by 12.4%.

Durán said the first-quarter figures were recorded outside the peak tourist season. She added that the call for additional state security personnel had already been lodged in February and was not solely prompted by the latest data.

Call for staffing and retention measures

Durán said public security was the responsibility of the state and argued that staff shortages were forcing local police forces to take on duties outside their remit. She praised police work but said municipalities should not have to shoulder responsibilities assigned to the central government.

Around 1,000 state officers have arrived in the Balearic Islands over the past five years, but only about 250 have remained because of the islands’ high cost of living, according to Durán. She called for measures to help officers stay in the islands.

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Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com