Number of Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil agents in Spain rise in last two years, but police unions argue more is needed

THE number of Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil officers in the last two years has risen.

According to a government report, the number of Policia Nacional agents at the end of 2019 was 68,013 and for the Guardia Civil it was 78,469.

In total that is 146,482 agents, compared to 142,691 in 2017.

The Interior Ministry states that another 17,000 agents are still needed to fill all the gaps in both forces, bringing the total number of officers to 163,500.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, a spokesman for the Ministry said: “When PP was in power, we lost 12,000 agents and now it will take several years to recover them.”

The peak number of officers for both forces was hit during the start of the previous decade, when in 2010 there were 83,644 members of the Guardia Civil and in 2011 when the Policia Nacional was 72,457 agents strong.

This increase of troops has been viewed favourably by the policing unions.

Pablo Perez, a spokesperson for JUPOL – a police union – sees this increase ‘positively’.

Juan Fernandez of the AUGC however – another union – describes this increase as ‘insufficient’.