John Culatto
POLICE officers from all over Andalucia came to Gibraltar for a friendly visit for the first time last Saturday.
Eight directors of the International Police Association (IPA) were all smiles at the local IPA HQ during the visit.
Far from the tense political standoff between Gibraltar and Spain or crime-fighting, the officers showed their camarederie during their short stay.
The IPA directors came from cities including Cadiz, Marbella, Huelva, Cordoba and Sevilla.
They toured the Upper Rock, checked out the Great Siege Tunnels and saw the views from Europa Point.
“They had a fantastic time,” IPA Gibraltar Section President PC Ben Bentley said.
“It’s all about strengthening bonds and friendships amongst police forces.”
Bentley met with Andalalucian IPA President Pablo Berbecho to discuss creating further links between the two associations.
They now plan to ‘strengthen relationships and communications’, the Royal Gibraltar Police said in a statement.
The EU treaty Spain is discussing with the UK could see further law enforcement cooperation between both sides of the border.
The IPA is the biggest police association in the world with over 372,000 members in nearly 100 countries.
UK police officer Arthur Troop founded it in 1950 and their officers are based in Nottingham.
“We are a non-governmental organisation, and our aims are to create and strengthen bonds of friendship between members of the police service,” the IPA says on its website.
It is committed to human rights, world peace and international cooperation.
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